


The Gambit

by NEIWIS



Series: The Ultionem Saga [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adventure, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Friendship, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 73,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24437146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NEIWIS/pseuds/NEIWIS
Summary: When Ares' shield is stolen, the god of war places an ultimatum upon Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood: find and return the shield or prepare for war. Armed with a prophecy from an unusual source, Reyna, Annabeth, and Piper set out on a quest to find who stole the shield and why. Along the way, they will face old enemies and meet new, uncertain allies.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: The Ultionem Saga [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764853
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	1. The Ultimatum

Piper would like to think that she was a patient person. She could handle most situations without violence. If a situation did seem like it would turn violent, she could use charmspeak as a last resort. All of these diplomatic thoughts did not occur to her as she saw Clarisse LaRue.

Clarisse was not someone you would want to fight. Like all children of Ares, she had dark, beady eyes that glared everyone down. Her hand ran through her brown hair before it moved to the dagger that was resting on the table in front of her.

Most campers had kept clear of Clarisse and her cabin over the last month. The children of Ares had been on a warpath that seemed to have no end in sight. No one knew who to blame, since Olympus was closed. Was Ares manipulating his children to cause them to fight, or were his children simply bored?

The Aphrodite cabin could not claim innocence. They had broken up almost every relationship in the camp. It didn't matter if you were a child or Ares or not. If you made the children of Aphrodite mad, your relationship was going to pay the price.

Something had to be done about the relationship between the two cabins. That was why Piper and Clarisse had agreed to meet. Chiron agreed to oversee the meeting, so he could keep the bloodshed to a minimal.

Piper took a deep breath as she examined the room. Her gaze turned towards the ping pong table that separated her from Clarisse. The daughter of Ares was flanked by two of her siblings. Piper decided to come alone.

“Thank you both for coming,” Chiron began. He stood in between the two of them. That only made it easier to see his horsetail flickering nervously. “I understand that your parents are fighting each other, and the fighting has created tensions between your two cabins.”

“Well, we could just wipe every child of Aphrodite from the face of the earth,” Clarisse suggested with a sneer. Her two siblings laughed. “That should relieve the tensions.”

“These peace talks are not going to work,” Piper said as she looked at Chiron. The words just slipped out of her mouth. While she did want peace between the two cabins, she could feel herself preparing to attack Clarisse. There didn't seem to be anything she could do to stop herself.

“We both know that this is only a formality,” Clarisse snapped. “There is nothing to talk about. Your mother is accusing my father of killing some loser that she was seeing. Father didn't do that, but your mother is angry regardless. Maybe, I should give her something to be angry about!”

“Try it,” Piper snapped as she jumped to her feet. She knew that her anger had come from her mother. No one knew much about the situation, but apparently, Aphrodite had been courting a man for half of a year. Apparently, that was a record for her.

Everyone said that Ares took offense to the prolonged relationship. He sent one of his own children to kill the man that Aphrodite was courting. Once the deed was done, the assassin disappeared off of the face of the earth.

Since Aphrodite had no proof of who killed her lover, she could not punish anyone without backlash from the other Olympians. Ares taunted Aphrodite about it, and that only caused more problems. Tensions between the two immortals quickly increased.

Then, Ares tried to attack Aphrodite. Athena was able to separate the two, but word quickly leaked. It became a struggle to keep the two cabins from fighting. The breaking point came a week before when three children of Ares attacked a child of Aphrodite. The poor girl had practically been killed, and the cabins were not allowed any activities together after that.

“You both need to calm down,” Chiron said. He seemed to understand how tense everyone in the room was, and he looked ready to break up any fighting. “There has been another incident on Mount Olympus, and Ares is threatening war.”

“And?” Clarisse wondered. She propped her feet up on the table and started to clean a dagger. Piper's hand moved to own dagger.

“War is one of the worst things that can happen,” Piper argued. She bit her tongue, so she wouldn't say anything else. Chiron glanced at her and motioned for her to take a deep breath.

“Miss McLean is correct,” Chiron confirmed, and he took his own deep breath. “Ares is threatening war on more than just Aphrodite. Athena and Bellona are also facing his wrath.”

“What do you mean?” Clarisse asked with a raised eyebrow. She moved her dagger to clean her nails. “Why would Ares blame Bellona? I thought they were friends.”

“I don't know the exact reason,” Chiron replied. “The Olympians have been tight lipped. For now, we must discuss how we are going to stop the conflict between your two cabins.”

Piper remained silent and thought about the new information. Her eyes moved to the ceiling. Seeing a child of Ares caused her blood to boil. She wanted to attack them instantly, and it had been like that for the past month. Piper first discovered it when she attacked Frank during Reyna's birthday party, and now, she had an explanation for it.

“How are we going to do that?” Piper finally asked. Chiron seemed to ponder the question. After a few moments, he opened his mouth to respond. A door behind Piper slammed open.

“Chiron,” a young camper wheezed. Piper whirled around. A girl was panting for breath and leaning on a wall. “I think I just broke my sister's record for running here, and the children of Ares and Aphrodite are about to fight.”

Chiron swept towards the camper and gently grabbed her arm. He slung her across his back and looked behind him. Chiron spoke, “We must hurry.”

Before they could respond, Chiron galloped away. Piper walked towards the door, and Clarisse shoved right past her. A sneer was shot at Piper. It took the daughter of Aphrodite a moment to ignore her murderous tendencies and jog towards the dinner pavilion.

When the dinner pavilion came into sight, Piper's stomach dropped. Most of the campers were still sitting at their tables, and they seemed too scared to move. A brave line of demigods were standing in between the children of Ares and Aphrodite. There seemed to be no violence, yet.

“Calm!” Chiron yelled. He deposited the camper on his back and walked towards the two tensed cabins. “We must all stay calm!”

“We have been calm long enough!” a child of Aphrodite yelled. Piper slowly made her way forward. She stopped by Chiron's side. After a moment, Clarisse followed her.

“Maybe, you should grow a pair and fight us!” a child of Ares yelled back. One of his hands wiped pizza sauce from his face. Piper glanced at her siblings. Thankfully, no one had grabbed their weapons, but it seemed inevitable that fighting would break out.

“We all need to calm down,” Piper yelled. She put as much charmspeak as she could into the words. Anger made it harder to focus. It took a deep breath to keep her from just telling her siblings to attack the children of Ares. They could not afford any violence.

Before Piper could say more, a bright light blinded her. She took a few steps back and blinked rapidly to try and see again. The only thing she heard was shocked noises and babbled words. Piper finally rubbed her eyes and managed to see properly.

A woman stood ten feet from her. The woman wore a set of golden, Greek battle armor. Her face, excluding her mouth and red eyes, were covered by a helmet. One hand gripped a spear, while the other hand gripped a shield.

“Greeks!” the goddess yelled. Her voice radiated power. For what seemed like dramatic effect, she slammed her spear into the ground. Piper felt adrenaline rushed into her body, and she felt like she could take on the world. The other campers had the same look in their eyes.

“Most of you may not know me,” the goddess said. She didn't raise her voice, but it still echoed throughout the dinner pavilion. Her voice reminded Piper of the generals that she had seen in war movies. “My name is Enyo: goddess of war! Many of you may have mistake me for that Roman Bellona. I can assure you that I am not.”

Enyo glanced around at the campers before continuing, “I know you have heard the rumors of strife on Mount Olympus. Ares and Aphrodite seem to be at war. They are not now, but soon, they will be. The shield of my brother, Ares, has been stolen. Who would dare steal the shield of the god of war?”

Enyo stopped talking and seemed to wait for a response. When no one offered one, she smirked and spoke, “I have a few ideas of who it could be. Before I identify these traitors, I must establish the consequences. For the last time, my brother has been humiliated. The other Olympians refuse to take his claims seriously. They stand by the usurper: Aphrodite. War is the only solution.”

“Ares will start a war on anyone who dares to defy or insult him. I will follow him, as will his sons. This can be avoided, if two stipulations are met,” Enyo continued. “First, Aphrodite must understand that Ares was not involved with the murder of her so called lover, and with this understanding, there must also come an apology. The second is that the thief, or thieves, steps forward into the light and returns what they stole.”

When Enyo finished, no one made a sound. The threat was slowly sinking in, and everyone started to whisper. Piper stared at Enyo. A confident smirk was plastered on Enyo's face. After a few moments, Chiron stepped forward.

“Who do you believe stole the shield?” Chiron asked. His voice seemed to break the stunned trance of the campers. The children of Ares huddled closer to each other. Everyone else stepped away from them. A few other campers moved from their tables to join the children of Ares.

“I say we start with the obvious: Piper McLean!” Enyo said. Piper looked up in surprise. She met Enyo's shining eyes. “Piper McLean is the favored daughter of Aphrodite. It makes sense that she would steal the shield for her mother, or that she used her charmspeak to convince someone to do the dirty work for her.”

The children of Aphrodite moved closely to Piper, as if to protect her. Jason was also making his way through the children of Aphrodite. He spoke, “Piper would never do any of those things.”

“Would Annabeth Chase steal the shield then?” Enyo questioned. She seemed to enjoy the spectacle that she was making. “The daughter of Athena owns a hat of invisibility, and did I mention that she was a child of Athena? Her mother and my brother have been feuding since they were born.”

“Why wouldn't Athena steal the shield? No one would suspect her, and it would weaken Ares,” Enyo continued. “Annabeth Chase is also one of the few people that have been allowed on Olympus, since it was closed. No one would suspect the architect of Olympus.”

“Every time I am on Mount Olympus, I am with my mother and Zeus,” Annabeth said calmly. She was one of the demigods that had been separating the Ares and Aphrodite cabin. Now, she was standing near Percy. “And, my mother would understand the consequences of stealing Ares' shield.”

“If it was not you two, it must be the third suspect, and she will be confronted shortly,” Enyo stated. Piper exchanged glances with Annabeth. Who was the third suspect? Before Piper could ask, Chiron cleared his throat.

“How do you know the shield was stolen by a camper?” Chiron wondered. He had moved his way to Piper's side, so he was standing in front of her protectively.

“Hypnos saw the gleam of the shield as the thief disappeared in the elevator. The damned fool did not realize what was happening, and he was too tired to identify any of their features. Thankfully, he was able to sense that they were a demigod.”

“You could always cross reference the day that he saw the shield disappear to the people that visited Olympus at the time,” Malcolm, a son of Athena, suggested. Enyo looked at him and laughed cruelly.

“Do you think we did not try that?” Enyo demanded. “Hypnos had been sleeping the entire month, and Ares has been away for two months. We don't know what day the shield was stolen, and Hypnos thought it was one of his dreams. He only offered the information when he overhead Ares questioning other immortals.”

“I have faith that Piper McLean and Annabeth Chase did not steal the shield,” Chiron promised.

“That remains to be seen,” Enyo said coldly. “The thief, whether they are here or not, has only a week to return the shield, or my brother will start a war. Everything that you love will be destroyed.”

With those happy words, the goddess began to show her true form. Everyone quickly looked away from the blinding light. When it was gone, every camper slowly turned back.

Piper met Annabeth's eyes again. Her own concern was reflected in Annabeth's eyes. Jason's hand gently grabbed Piper's shoulder in a protective gesture.

It only took Piper a moment to realize that everyone was staring at her. Most of them were whispering to themselves. Their faces all held accusations they didn't dare voice.

“Go back to the Big House,” Chiron whispered. Piper nodded and felt Jason gently lead her away. It only took a moment for Percy and Annabeth to follow. As they moved further away from the dinner pavilion, they could hear Chiron giving orders.

“Why is Ares accusing you two?” Jason asked. He fell in step with Piper and gave her a reassuring smile.

“They're children of Aphrodite and Athena,” Percy replied with a shrug. “It's natural for Ares to suspect them first. I'm only wondering who the third suspect is.”

“Someone at Camp Jupiter,” Annabeth suggested. “I'm guessing a child of Venus that is there. Either way, we'll have to find the shield to clear our names.”

“It looks like we're back to saving the world, again,” Percy agreed with a goody grin. “Hopefully, there isn't some terrifying prophecy to go with this one.”

“I thought you two would be tired of saving the world,” Jason commented. Piper nodded her agreement. Saving the world once was enough for her. She didn't know how Percy and Annabeth could stand it.

“It's become a normal thing,” Percy said with a shrug. “Besides, what is the worst that can happen?”


	2. The Prophecy

When Annabeth stepped into the Big House, she expected it to be empty, since everyone was at dinner. Annabeth didn't expect Dionysus to be sitting next to the fireplace with a group of kids seated near him. Based on their appearance, the kids were from different cabins, and they were probably some of the youngest campers at Camp Half-Blood.

“I want everyone to listen closely. Story time is about to begin, and I am not going to repeat myself,” Dionysus began. He shot an annoyed glance at the four demigods that had just walked in. Annabeth met his gaze. She knew that Dionysus had been forced back to Camp Half-Blood to continue to serve his sentence, and that put him in an even worse mood than normal.

“That is the daughter of Athena,” Dionysus said as he stared right at Annabeth. “She is the annoying head counselor of her cabin, but she may not be for much longer. About two minutes ago, she was accused of stealing Ares' shield. Does anyone know what happens to a thief, especially one that steals from the Olympians?”

A young girl raised her hand. When Dionysus made the slightest of motions to her, she spoke, “Bad things?”

“Bad things,” Dionysus agreed. “Those bad things include death, and that is probably what is going to happen. Did you know that the daughter of Aphrodite was also accused; therefore, she is facing the same threat of punishment. How many of you think that they worked together?”

“Actually, I don't want anyone to answer that,” Dionysus said, as he held up a hand. “I really don't care what you think. My greatest dream is that all of the campers disappear from this camp. If you did, I would not have to serve my punishment anymore. Since Olympus is closed, why am I the only one who has to interact with you demigods?”

“So, you're having a lesson with these kids?” Percy questioned. He looked around awkwardly. “And, shouldn't you have a different topic of conversation?”

“This demigod here is the most troublesome,” Dionysus said, and he pointed towards Percy. Every kid turned to look at the son of Poseidon, Percy rubbed the back of his neck and gave them his troublemaker grin. “He manages to get involved in every situation that we have.”

“I was dragged into half of those things,” Percy corrected. Annabeth gave him a look that warned him it wasn't the time.

“Somehow, he is not involved with the latest drama on Olympus,” Dionysus commented. He acted like Percy had not spoken. “It is all the Olympians can talk about. It's quite annoying really. You would think that they are use to having Ares and Aphrodite fight over mundane things.”

“Wait, that's all they can talk about?” Annabeth asked curiously. If the Olympians were so focused on the argument between Ares and Aphrodite, they wouldn't notice other, smaller things. Her mother would though.

“It should also be noted that children of Athena are very wise, but they cannot hear,” Dionysus muttered. He opened a can of diet coke and sighed deeply. “It is the only interesting thing that has happened that has not involved a war. We don't need anymore wars.”

Annabeth couldn't argue with that. She heard the door behind her open, so she turned around. Annabeth expected to see Chiron, but instead, Rachel Dare stumbled through the door. Her face was red from running, and she was trying to catch her breath. There was a distraught expression on her face.

“Rachel?” Percy questioned. He turned around and walked towards the Oracle of Delphi. “Are you okay? What's wrong?”

Rachel glanced at him, but her face looked completely distracted. As she took a step forward, she opened her mouth. Rachel, before she could say anything, stumbled forward. Annabeth stepped forward to catch her, but Percy was there first.

“Something is happening,” Rachel whispered. Her voice was normally calm, but now, she sounded like she was in intense pain. Percy quickly helped her sit down. There was definitely something wrong with the Oracle. Rachel' powers of prophecy had been blocked ever since the war with Gaea, and it didn't seem like it would be unblocked any time soon.

Dionysus stood and walked towards them. He looked vaguely concerned, which meant he was really concerned. It was an odd look for him. The god of wine studied Rachel silently. He went to touch her, but Rachel suddenly stiffened.

Rachel looked at them. Her green eyes were now completely black, and the look on her face sent shivers through Annabeth. Rachel spoke in a voice that wasn't her own, “Wisdom, war, and love will combine. They shall stop the plans of the divine.”

Annabeth stared. Rachel was speaking in some language that she had never heard of before. It had to be more ancient than Greek. Somehow, they understood it.

“The curse shall be lifted. The greatest of rewards will be inflicted,” Rachel continued. Annabeth felt Percy grip her arm. As he did, a chill ran down Annabeth's spine. The words scared her.

“The betrayals will be exposed. The wrath of the sky shall be imposed,” Rachel finished. Her eyes turned back to their normal shade of green. Then, she collapsed forward. Dionysus caught her.

Dionysus glanced at the group of kids that were sitting near the fireplace. Annabeth had completely forgotten about them. Dionysus cleared his throat and spoke, “Children, you can leave.”

“What just happened?” one of the kids whispered as the group stood. “Was that a prophecy?”

As the group left, the whispering became more intense. Annabeth stood there and tried to work her way through the prophecy. She looked at Dionysus. There was fear in the eyes of the Olympian. That look shook Annabeth to her core.

“I will make sure the Oracle has her rest,” Dionysus said. He awkwardly shifted Rachel in his arms and quickly walked out of the Big House. A concerned looking Chiron entered a moment later.

“Why is Dionysus carrying the Oracle?” Chiron asked. He looked exhausted from the events of the past ten minutes. Before answering, the four demigods looked at each other awkwardly. Jason cleared his throat.

“Rachel had a prophecy,” Jason began. “It wasn't like one of her normal prophecies. Her eyes were black, and she spoke in some ancient language.”

Chiron's face turned a stark white. He quickly turned away and spoke, “Why don't we all sit at the ping pong table and discuss the prophecy.”

Annabeth exchanged glances with her friends. All four of them knew the prophecy wasn't good news. If it was enough to make Chiron react like that, something terrible was going to happen.

The four demigods walked towards the ping pong table and sat in the various chairs that were scattered around. Percy sat next to Annabeth and gripped her hand. Jason and Piper sat across from them and didn't say anything.

“What did Rachel say?” Chiron questioned. The color was back to his face, but there was still fear buried in his eyes. He had a pad of paper in front of him.

“Wisdom, love, and war will combine. They shall stop the plans of the divine,” Annabeth began. “The curse will be lifted. The greatest of rewards will be inflicted.”

“I thought rewards were suppose to be good,” Percy interrupted. “Inflicted sounds the exact opposite of good. It makes it seem like someone is being forced to take the reward.”

“If you are forced to a take a reward, it probably won't be good,” Piper commented. She looked at Chiron. “The betrayals will be exposed. The wrath of the sky shall be imposed. Those are the last two lines of the prophecy.”

“So, the wrath of the sky would be my father then,” Jason guessed. “Is he angry about Ares' shield being stolen?”

“It could be Zeus, or it could be anyone who has anything to do with the sky,” Annabeth said. She watched Chiron finish writing the prophecy down.

“Wisdom and love has to be you and I,” Piper stated. She looked at Annabeth. “Assuming we are going on a quest to retrieve the shield, we will be working with whoever war is, but who are they?”

“A child of Ares,” Percy suggested. He was rolling his pen between his fingers. It was something that helped him stay focused. “That goddess, Enyo, might have a kid.”

“So, this is a quest,” Jason said. He looked at Chiron and received a nod. “I want to come.”

“I'm coming too,” Percy said quickly. He looked at Annabeth. “I am not going to leave you behind.”

“Both of you can't,” Annabeth said. She looked at Percy sadly. The two of them had been inseparable since their journey in Tartarus. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to. “We can only have three demigods on the quest, and neither of you are a child of war.”

“The betrayals do not sound good,” Chiron said. He was studying the demigods with an odd look. It was like he felt someone else should have been there.

“Do we know what the curse could be?” Piper asked. She seemed to realize that there was too many curses for them to keep track of. Annabeth sighed tiredly and tried to think of any that jumped out at her. None did.

“I know who the third person is,” Chiron said. His voice broke the silence that was starting to settle over the room. Annabeth had spent the walking over to the table thinking of who the third person could be, and her mind settled on Clarisse. That was probably the last person she wanted the prophecy to refer to. Working with the child of Ares would be near impossible.

“I recall telling Miss McLean that Ares is having issues with Athena and Bellona as well,” Chiron explained. “I believe that war refers to the daughter of Bellona.”

“So, Ares is going to accuse Reyna?” Jason questioned. “I know for a fact that Reyna would never do anything like that.”

“Enyo seems to believe so,” Chiron said. He sighed and looked at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena returned his gaze. There was no way he actually thought Reyna would do anything like that.

“Who is Enyo anyway?” Piper questioned. “I don't really recall reading anything about her, and no one here seems to know her either. I don't even think she has any kids.”

“Enyo is always mistaken as the Greek form of Bellona, but that could not be further from the truth,” Chiron explained. “In ancient times, the Greeks loved Enyo. They enjoyed her chaotic way of waging war. The Romans were different though. They liked more order in their battles, and that is where Bellona came from.”

“Usually, Enyo would have gained a Roman form, but the Roman way of war was extremely different from hers. The Romans created their own goddess in the form of Bellona,” Chiron continued. “Bellona represents a calmness in battle; she is the moment you take a deep breath and examine the battlefield.”

“So, Enyo is a chaotic mess in battle?” Percy questioned.

“Kind of like you,” Jason commented. Percy looked at him and stuck his tongue out. Then, he leaned back and yawned tiredly. Annabeth shared the sentiment.

“Percy is correct,” Chiron confirmed. “Enyo has always represented the chaos of a thoughtless attack. She is like the general who desperately throws their troops at an enemy.”

“Is it fair to say that Enyo doesn't like Bellona?” Annabeth asked.

“The two hate each other. Mars and Bellona, depending on the year, are either the best of friends or the worst of enemies. Enyo gets along with the god of war in whatever form he is in,” Chiron replied.

“That only makes it look worse for Bellona, but Reyna wouldn't steal the shield. She couldn't steal it. She has been dealing with injuries for the past month, especially with her knee,” Jason said as he tried to defend his friend.

“Reyna could still walk,” Annabeth said. She didn't think that Reyna stole the shield, but they needed to lay out the facts. “There was also plenty of times when she was alone.”

“You seriously don't think that Reyna stole the shield,” Jason said incredulously.

“None of us do,” Percy promised. “We just need to lay out everything on the table. If someone is framing Reyna, they would have to know about her condition. Either way, we should inform Reyna.”

Percy dug around in his pocket for a golden drachma. He managed to find one and pull it out of his pocket. Piper suddenly looked up and spoke, “Hylla. Would she have anything to do with it?”

“Hylla has been busy with Thalia for the past month. From what I have heard, they have spent every moment with each other. As weird as it sounds, I think they were sleeping in the same bed,” Annabeth explained. She remembered the Iris message where Thalia explained the situation. Hylla had made a few suggestive eyebrow raises, but it was quickly shut down by Thalia.

“They're rebuilding the Amazons and Hunters, right?” Jason questioned. Annabeth nodded. Before anyone else could talk, Dionysus walked into the room and towards the ping pong table.

“Who stole the shield is not the most important question,” Dionysus said. He sat in a chair and looked at Chiron. The two of them seemed to have a silent conversation. “You must ask yourself about the prophecy; who sent it?”

“You have an idea,” Piper guessed. Dionysus nodded, but he looked weary. There almost seemed to be a bit of fear in his eyes. It made Annabeth's curiosity flare up. Dionysus sighed and looked away from them.

“I hope I am wrong,” Dionysus whispered in a small voice. He looked at the ground and didn't elaborate. Looking at Dionysus, Annabeth understood that the answer would chill her to the bone.


	3. The Third Suspect

Taking a break from praetor duties was not something that Reyna enjoyed. She almost wanted to find Frank and throttle him for suggesting it, but that would make a bad example for the rest of the legion. For now, all she could do was sit back and enjoy the food that Nico smuggled in.

“You cannot chug that in under ten seconds,” Nico said. Reyna glanced at him. Then, she looked down at the can of soda in her hands. Despite the conversation happening thirty seconds ago, she didn't remember it.

“I can do anything I want,” Reyna finally countered. She looked at Nico. He was stretched out on the couch, and there was a plate of pizza on his chest. Nico looked pretty content. Reyna glanced down at her knee.

About a month ago, her knee had been injured. The initial injury came from a Laistrygonian giant slamming a club in her knee. After the Laistrygonian giants were defeated, Reyna was attacked by rogue Amazons. 

Since her knee had been practically broken, the Senate assigned her to a week of bed rest. It had been the worst week of Reyna's career at Camp Jupiter. When Reyna returned to her duties three weeks ago, everyone kept bothering her about her knee. It didn't help that she still had a limp.

To get away from everyone's nagging, Reyna had gone to the movies with her sister, Hazel, Piper, and Annabeth. Before the Roman demigods could meet up with the Greek demigods, they were attacked by a drakon.

Reyna had never fought a drakon before that day, but they killed it pretty easily. Then, a second drakon had attacked. This one was the mother, and it was pissed off. The Romans had decided to split up and run, and the drakon chose to chase after Reyna.

It took assistance from a mysterious girl named Sarah, a building falling on the drakon, and a Titaness just to get the drakon to leave. The Titaness, Rhea, had given Reyna a vial, with the warning that it would be the most important thing that Reyna ever held. She still had no clue what was really in the vial.

Nico was the only one who had been told the truth about what really happened. For some reason, it didn't feel right to tell the story to her sister. Reyna had fabricated a story about finding the vial on the ground after the drakon disappeared.

Reyna's hand moved to the necklace that held the vial. The vial itself was tucked under her shirt, and no one at Camp Jupiter really paid attention to it. As Reyna reflected on the events of the past month, she laid her head back.

If Reyna had to pick the worst part of her month, it would be what had happened almost a week ago. In the middle of a senate meeting, Reyna had passed out, due to a case of appendicitis. She had been trapped in a mortal hospital for days.

Reyna wasn't eighteen, so she couldn't just have the surgery, unless her condition became life threatening. Even though she had passed out, her appendix wasn't about to burst, so they needed her guardian's permission. Reyna had been stupid enough to mention her sister. The hospital refused to commit to a surgery, until Hylla gave them permission, but it had been hard to get in contact with Hylla.

“Frank just wants you to relax,” Nico said. Reyna must have been scowling. She glanced at her best friend but finally looked away.

“It's stupid,” Reyna muttered. “I shouldn't be forced to sit on a couch unable to deal with issues that arise in my camp.”

Her biggest problem was the growing tensions between the children of Mars and Venus. It was getting harder and harder to keep the children from fighting. Unlike Camp Half-Blood, there had yet to be a fight. There was only yelling matches.

Frank deserved a lot of the credit. He had done everything in his power to keep his siblings from fighting the children of Venus. Frank was also the first one to become aware of the problem. That was because Piper tried to club him with a glass bottle at Reyna's birthday party.

When he told Reyna about it, the two debated what to do. It didn't seem like much would come from the incident, but they took precautions anyway. The children of Mars and Venus were kept apart at all times. War games were suspended, but Frank, for some reason, brought them back for that night.

Reyna was going to chew him out for that decision. They couldn't chance an incident happening. Reyna glanced at Nico. They both jumped as there was a knock on the door.

Nico jumped to his feet and stepped towards the door. Reyna glared at him. After a moment, she stood and tried to hide a wince. Her knee, for reasons she didn't know, still ached. Reyna watched Nico open the door.

“Praetor,” a camper said. They were slightly out of breath, as if they had just finished running. Reyna walked towards the camper and identified him as a child of Ceres from the fourth cohort. “You are needed at an emergency senate meeting.”

“What happened during the war games?” Reyna asked. Even though she wasn't wearing her cloak or armor, the camper looked terrified. He swallowed painfully.

“Lord Mars interrupted,” the camper began. Reyna's heart dropped. There was no way that something good was about to happen. An Olympian didn't just drop by for a friendly chat. “He demanded that we hold an emergency senate meeting.”

Reyna grimaced. Emergency senate meeting was code for someone is in big trouble. She just hoped that it wasn't her. Reyna spoke, “Did he ask for anyone by name?”

“Yes,” the camper replied. He gulped. “You.”

“I had better go then,” Reyna said. She did her best to hide the surprise and fear on her face. Why did Mars want to see her? She had not done anything.

“Don't get into too much trouble,” Nico commented. He was standing by the table, and his fingers nervously tapped against his thigh. Reyna nodded and stepped out of her house. Her best friend followed behind her.

“Are you going to keep me from that trouble?” Reyna teased. On the inside, her heart was starting to pound. She took a deep breath to get it under control. Reyna glanced at the children of Ceres who was standing there in silence. “Dismissed.”

The camper nodded and scurried away. Reyna walked towards the senate building She focused on calming her pulse and staring ahead. Nico stayed by her side, and they walked in silence.

“Why do you think Mars called for a meeting?” Reyna asked after a minute. Her only thought was that Mars wanted to talk about his children. He didn't like how they were handling things, so he was going to take matters into his own hands.

“It probably has something to do with his kids,” Nico replied. Reyna nodded and sighed deeply. She rubbed her face and tried to think. Nico walked beside her.

“Stay in the shadows,” Reyna said. She glanced at Nico. “I don't want Mars to focus on you.”

Nico tried to protest, but Reyna shook her head. She gently shoved him towards the shadows as they neared the senate building. The praetor took a deep breath and opened the door. When Reyna stepped inside, all eyes turned towards her. The most important belonged to the Roman god of war.

Reyna walked towards Mars and bowed. As nervousness took over, her jaw clenched. She spoke, “Lord Mars, what do we owe the honor?”

“Thief,” Mars hissed. While the room was quiet before, that single word caused all noise to cease. Reyna glanced at the shadows and saw Nico. He stared at her with wide eyes.

“Father,” Frank began. He had been sitting by the rest of the senate, but he made his way to Reyna's side. Reyna glanced at him.

“Don't speak,” Mars snapped. He looked at Reyna and took a step forward. “While I was away from Mount Olympus, you stole my shield. I want it back.”

“My lord, I didn't steal anything,” Reyna promised. She forced herself to stand her ground. Since Mars was an Olympian, he couldn't actually hurt her, unless she attacked him. That was not going to happen.

“I have been away checking on ancient monsters and the Titans. Things have been stirring ever since the war. For some reason, you decided this would be a good time to steal my shield,” Mars said. He was the size of a human, but he looked terrifying in his full set of Roman armor.

“Reyna wouldn't do that,” Frank interrupted. Members of the senate jumped to Reyna's defense. She could see their mouths moving, but her ears were ringing. It was hard to tell if the ringing was from anger or surprise. Why was she being accused?

“Silence!” Mars snapped. The room fell silent again. Mars looked back at Reyna. “I want my shield back, thief. You have one week to return what you stole. There will be dire consequences if you fail.”

“I will wage against you, your mother, and everyone who has ever insulted me,” Mars continued. “My children will turn against you. Is that what you want, praetor?”

“Lord Mars, I would not steal your shield,” Reyna swore. She could see how horrible a war would be. There was no way that they could afford it. Reyna needed to try and talk some sense into Mars.

“Your mother and I had a large disagreement. It would make sense that she wants revenge. Even if that is not the case, my most trusted ally blames you. I have more reason to believe them than some puny demigod,” Mars said.

“You have a week from today, thief. If you fail, I will not hesitate to wage war,” Mars threatened. He looked around the senate and smiled cruelly. “My children will wage war as well, and it will be all your fault.”

“You can't wage war on everyone,” Nico interrupted. He stepped out of the shadows and clenched his fist. Mars turned on him.

“I can, and I will,” Mars promised. He looked back at Reyna. “You have one week, starting now.”

Reyna wanted to protest and convince Mars that he wasn't thinking right. Someone else had stolen the shield. Instead, she nodded and spoke, “I'll find your shield for you.”

Mars growled. He started to glow. Reyna closed her eyes and turned her head away. When she looked back, everyone was staring at her. Then, they all started asking questions at the same time.

It was Frank who held up a hand. He gave Reyna a cautious glance and cleared his throat. Frank spoke, “I know we have a lot of questions, but we must calm down. My fellow praetor did not steal my father's shield. I know that; however, it sounds like Mars has issued a quest.”

Reyna glanced at Frank and met his eyes. She gave him a small, approving nod. All she could think about was Mars' threat. Why had he been in an argument with her mother, and why was Reyna getting dragged into it?

“Is this a bad time?” a voice asked. Reyna blinked and realized an Iris message was right in front of her face. Annabeth and Chiron were both watching her closely. The rest of the senate was also staring at the Iris message.

“We are in the middle of a senate meeting,” Reyna replied. Considering Chiron was there, Reyna figured that they wanted to discuss something important, but her brain was still focused on Mars. At the moment, she didn't need any other problems.

“This is really important,” Annabeth said. She met Reyna's eyes, and there seemed to be fear there. Reyna frowned. That was not like Annabeth.

“What happened?” Frank questioned. He stepped closer to the Iris message.

“About twenty minutes ago, Piper and I were accused of stealing Ares' shield. We were discussing the possibility of a quest, and then, Rachel had a prophecy,” Annabeth explained. Members of the senate started to whisper to each other.

“I thought Rachel's prophetic powers were broke,” Frank said. “Are they back?”

“What does it have to do with us?” Reyna asked. A pit of nervousness was forming in her stomach. Annabeth's look didn't make her feel any better.

“It was a prophecy, but it wasn't the kind of prophecy that we normally have,” Chiron explained. “Miss Dare's eyes turned black, and she spoke in the most ancient of languages. Praetor, we believe that the prophecy referred to you.”

“So, where did the prophecy come from?” Reyna questioned. Annabeth and Chiron exchanged glances. Annabeth finally took a deep breath and looked back at Reyna.

“The Fates,” Annabeth answered. Reyna stared at her for the longest time. She finally closed her eyes and decided that her luck was the absolute worst.


	4. The Preparations

When Reyna opened her eyes, she found that Annabeth was watching her. Everyone seemed to be watching her. They wanted to know what her reaction was, but how could she react to the fact that the Fates had made a prophecy that mentioned her? When did the Fates even start making prophecies?

Annabeth grabbed a piece of paper and read the prophecy from it. To Reyna, the words were like static. She was still in shock from Mars appearance. The prophecy was too much for her brain to handle.

A few deep breaths calmed her down. Reyna focused back in and studied Annabeth. She had no clue what the prophecy was, but that was probably for the best. If someone focused too much on a prophecy, they would become obsessed with it. That usually led to their downfall.

“Piper and I believe that we are love and wisdom,” Annabeth said. “We are prepared to go on a quest, and we want Reyna to join us.”

Reyna wanted to comment that they didn't really have a choice in who would go, but instead, she nodded and spoke, “It would be a honor to go on a quest with you two. According to Mars, we only have one week to find the shield.”

“We will have to vote on how much help to give,” Frank said. The rest of the senate was too stunned to respond. Reyna swallowed painfully.

“That won't be necessary,” Chiron interrupted. Reyna glanced at him. The centaur gave her a kind smile. “Camp Half-Blood can provide any supplies that are needed. We were wondering if Camp Jupiter could provide a few soldiers to help keep the peace.”

Reyna glanced at her fellow praetor and nodded. Her eyes swept over the senate, and all of them gave slow nods. They had yet to come out of their shock. Reyna sighed and felt a headache forming.

“We can do that,” Frank replied. “We will send out some of our campers tonight, and we will make sure they hurry.”

“Thank you,” Reyna added. Chiron watched her with a kind face, but his eyes betrayed him. There was a look of something like doubt in his eyes. Reyna didn't know if he thought that she had stolen the shield or if he was just nervous about her being on the quest. Either way, it wasn't good.

“Frank will assume all praetor responsibilities until I return. Everyone is dismissed,” Reyna said. She focused on Annabeth's face. As the senate filed out of the room, the two stayed silent. Frank stayed by her side, and Nico was walking towards them.

Reyna rubbed her forehead. The headache was getting worse by the second. When she heard the doors of the senate building close, she looked up at the Iris message. Annabeth was watching her symptomatically.

“How did Dionysus know that the Fates sent the prophecy?” Nico asked. “That doesn't seem like something that someone just knows.”

“The black eyes were the tip off,” Chiron responded. “There are only a few entities that can tell the future, and the Fates are the only ones who would be associated with black eyes.”

“Before we learned about the prophecy, Enyo accused Piper and I of stealing Ares' shield. That was during dinner and in front of everyone,” Annabeth said. “Did Ares accuse you?”

“My father appeared in the middle of the war games,” Frank explained. “He demanded that we stop and that a meeting be called. Then, he accused Reyna of stealing his shield, in front of the senate.”

“Mars gave me a deadline of a week to find the shield,” Reyna added. A week seemed like a long amount of time, but she knew just how fast it could pass. “That deadline starts tonight, so technically, we will only have six day.”

“We will have to meet somewhere and soon,” Annabeth said. She rubbed her chin as she seemed to think. Her eyes betrayed how fast her brain was moving.

“I can shadow travel Reyna to Camp Half-Blood,” Nico suggested. Reyna glanced at her best friend. He seemed to disregard the fact that Will told him no shadow traveling. Nico really like to push his limits.

“No,” Reyna said. “All three of us have been awake all day. I think we'll be too tired to make any progress. We should start tomorrow. We'll be well rested.”

The headache also wasn't helping matters. It felt like someone was playing drums with her skull. Reyna slowly spoke, “I can meet you two somewhere in New York. I'll take Guido and meet you in the morning. Does six sound good?”

Annabeth glanced to her right and smiled. She spoke, “It is for me, but Piper looks scared at the thought of it. Where do you want to meet at?”

“Angela's,” Reyna responded. She gripped her forehead and just wished that the headache would go away. “It's some kind of family restaurant, and it is not far from Camp Half-Blood. Do yo know where it is?”

“We can find the address. We'll meet you there,” Annabeth said. She studied Reyna for a moment before running her hand through the Iris message. Reyna slowly looked at Frank.

“I'll keep things stable here,” Frank promised. He sighed to himself and looked down. “I'm sorry my dad is doing this to you.”

“It's not your fault,” Reyna replied. She looked at Frank. “If anything comes up, I want you to send an Iris message to me. We'll be back before the deadline.”

“I don't doubt it,” Frank said. Reyna managed a smile and turned away. She walked out of the building and towards her house. Her smile was lost as the pain in her forehead came back stronger than before.

Nico followed behind her. He spoke, “I can't believe Ares accused you of stealing his shield. That thing isn't even worth your time. If you aren't leaving tonight, why are you in such a rush?”

“I need to be prepared,” Reyna muttered. Her mind focused on the items that she would need. Weapons, of course, were the most important thing. She would need clothes and some medical supplies. Legion training had taught her to never take more than a duffel bag or backpack anywhere.

“You don't think this quest is going to be a walk in the park, do you?” Nico asked. Reyna nodded distractedly. She felt Nico nudge her. “How come?”

“Quests never are,” Reyna replied. She rubbed her temples. “At my birthday party, do you remember the card that I received that was blank for everyone but me? The envelope had a business card in it for that restaurant. I think that is where a lead is.”

“Athena sent you the card, right?” Nico questioned. Reyna nodded. “Do you think she will be there?”

“I don't know,” Reyna answered. “I'm not sure how nice Minerva is feeling towards Romans, even though she did give me her blessing on my cloak. Either way, I just feel that it is a good starting point.”

As Reyna made it to her house, she sighed in relief. Nico opened the door for her, and they stepped inside. Reyna's two dogs rushed towards her. A snap of her fingers stopped the two in their tracks. She knelt by her dogs and spoke, “I have to go on a quest. You two need to stay here with Frank and help him.”

“Do you need me to do anything?” Nico asked. He stepped past her and looked around. Reyna motioned for him to follow her. They walked towards her room.

“Should I wear a full set of armor?” Reyna asked. She rubbed her chin. A full set of armor would be more protective, but it would draw more attention. Reyna sighed and closed her eyes.

“I'm not sure,” Nico answered. “I haven't been on a quest like this before. According to stories I hear, most demigods don't wear armor on quests.”

“That's surprising,” Reyna commented. She finally decided on a breastplate. It could be worn under a jacket, and it would also protect her vital organs. Reyna grabbed her breastplate and tossed it on her bed. A duffel bag followed it.

Reyna turned to grab clothes and almost collapsed against her dresser. Pain tore through her head, and the pain quickly became unbearable. Reyna closed her eyes tightly. A memory ran through her head.

“I think that all magic is evil,” Reyna said as she looked at Lupa. The wolf watched her with a curious look. The daughter of Bellona looked down at the picture in her hands. Her gaze focused on it, and anger filled her chest.

_“Is all magic evil?” Lupa asked. She circled around Reyna. “Magic is only a weapon.”_

_“It's used for evil,” Reyna countered. She put the picture of her and her sister away. With Lupa watching, the daughter of Bellona stood. She picked up the sword that was there for training. It felt unbalanced in her hand._

_“Is magic the only thing that can be used for evil?” Lupa questioned. She stopped her circling and watched Reyna. “Magic is only evil if that is what the user intends. It is no different than a sword.”_

_“With a sword, you rely on your own skill to win,” Reyna argued. She stabbed forward and rolled to the side like Lupa had taught her. It was the basic strategy for fighting a hellhound. One person would be a distraction, and the other would hit the hellhound from behind. “Magic relies on your own energy to be cast. It feeds off of you like a living thing.”_

_“That is where the witch is wrong,” Lupa said. She growled at Reyna's form. “When fighting monsters, you need to stay light on your feet. Fighting with one weapon is different than what the pirates taught you. They only care about themselves.”_

_“I will be in a pack. I must think like one,” Reyna said repeating the mantra that Lupa had taught her. She was aware of Lupa's eyes burning into her. It made Reyna uncomfortable, but she stayed focused on her task at hand._

_“When we fight another person, we stay strong in our stance. They cannot move you, as you will be a brick wall,” Lupa said. She watched Reyna repeat the same maneuver for a few minutes. Lupa finally growled and motioned her head towards the ground. “There is another piece of business that we must discuss.”_

_Reyna quietly sat down. She played with the sword in her hands. Reyna wiped the sweat from her head and finally spoke, “Is it about my English?”_

_“Yes,” Lupa answered. The wolf motioned towards a stack of books. “You have told me that your English is limited. The witch spoke to you in Latin or Spanish. When you join the legion, you must know English.”_

_Reyna nodded quietly. She stood and walked towards the pile of books. The first one she saw was the book titles that were in Spanish. Other books had English that she could not understand._

_“You will spend most of your days teaching yourself English. These books should help you,” Lupa continued. Reyna nodded quietly and continued to examine the books. It brought her back to the time she would spend in Puerto Rico reading outside. It helped keep her away from her father._

_“The Art of War,” Reyna read quietly. She ran a finger over the title of the book. Her older sister had mentioned the book once or twice before. Reyna didn't know much about it, but if Lupa wanted her to read it, she would._

_“It is a book that you will come familiar with,” Lupa said. There was a tone to her voice. It was like she knew something that Reyna didn't. “Now, I was you to repeat the maneuver for fighting a hydra.”_

“Reyna, you there?” Nico asked. Reyna blinked a few times as she snapped back to reality. Nico looked at her in concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“I zoned out,” Reyna answered. She had no clue why the memory had come back so vividly. All she wanted to do was stay focused on the quest before her. The memory brought back the thought of magic, and that brought back the thought of Circe. Reyna really didn't want to think about Circe. If there was a bright side, it was that her headache was gone.

“Was it more than zoning out?” Nico wondered. He must have noticed the scowl on Reyna's face. Reyna forced her expression to go back to neutral. She considered her answer.

“I was just remembering some of my time with Lupa,” Reyna answered. She quietly grabbed a dagger that she was going to take with her. Reyna tossed it up into the air. With her eyes on Nico, she caught the dagger by the handle. “It was the day I began to learn English.”

“You didn't know English?” Nico asked. He sat on her bed. “I assumed that you just learned when you were a kid or that Hylla taught you.”

“I knew bits and pieces of English, but there was no way that I could hold a conversation. Hylla never had time to teach me properly, and I don't think she had the patience for it,” Reyna explained. She tossed the dagger on her bed and grabbed a book that was under her pillow. As Reyna stared at it, memories came flooding back.

“What do you think about the prophecy?” Nico asked. “I don't think the Fates have ever handed out a prophecy. If they took the time to send it, the prophecy has to be important.”

“It can't be anything good,” Reyna replied. She grabbed more daggers before grabbing clothes. “It just bothers me that they couldn't give us a straight answer. Maybe, they could have told us who the divine is.”

“While they were at it, they could have told you where the shield is,” Nico joked. He quickly turned serious. “Rhea did warn you that something big is coming. Do you think this is it?”

“Rhea said that I was one,” Reyna commented. She started to place items into her duffel bag. “It doesn't make sense though. The stealing of Mars' shield doesn't seem that bad. I understand what his consequences are, but it's not going to come to that.”

“It could be a distraction,” Nico commented. He frowned and seemed to be lost in thought. “Either way, you three should probably find the shield and return it as soon as possible. In fact, I would be disappointed if you didn't find it tomorrow.”

“No pressure,” Reyna said with a small smile. She focused back on packing. Her hand grabbed her sword. “Let's spar. I won't be here for a week, and we can't let that Greek training rust your actual battle skills.”

“Reyna, you are going down,” Nico promised. “It's going to be exactly how Sally beat you and Annabeth in Risk.”

“I was injured and not in the right state of mind,” Reyna said. She led Nico towards the living room. Sparring would be a nice distraction. “And, you are the one that is going down.”


	5. The Goddess of Wisdom

Annabeth frowned as she stopped at a red light. She could not find a sign that told them Angela's was near. It didn't help that rain was falling heavily, and her windshield wipers were struggling to keep up. Piper sat in the passenger seat. Her gaze was focused ahead.

There was no real way for them to start a conversation. How about that prophecy? One of us is going to have a reward imposed on us. We'll face the wrath of the sky. There will be betrayals. Isn't that great?

Truthfully, Annabeth was a little bitter. She just wanted things to calm down. The occasional monster attack would be fine. The quests were starting to grow irritating. Could the world fall apart and not drag her into it?

Annabeth, as she drove, remembered the night before. After they finished finalizing plans for the quest, Annabeth went back to her cabin. After packing, she had spent most of the night awake. When all of her siblings had fallen asleep, she had gone to Percy's cabin.

They spent almost every night together. When they were wrapped in each others arms, the nightmares couldn't bother them. During the day, it was enough to know that she was out of the darkness. Annabeth sighed sadly as she thought of her boyfriend.

“It's on the right,” Piper said. Annabeth glanced to her right and flipped on her turn signal. She turned into the parking lot of the restaurant. There didn't seem to be any customers, but there was an open sign on the door. Annabeth pulled into a parking space.

“Do you see Reyna inside?” Annabeth asked. She put the van into park and tried to look inside. The rain made it nearly impossible to see. Piper frowned as she leaned forward.

“I can't see anything,” Piper answered. She squinted and shook her head. “I don't think Reyna is in there. Do you think she is still flying over?”

“I'm not sure, but we can wait inside,” Annabeth replied. Piper nodded her agreement. The two slowly stepped out of the van. They were instantly pelted by the rain. Annabeth quickly put on her hood. As she closed the van door, she saw someone in the mirror.

“I thought that Greeks could park,” Reyna commented. Annabeth turned to look at the daughter of Bellona. Reyna had her own hood up, but it was impossible to mistake her black eyes. Annabeth smiled at her friend and took a moment to examine her. Despite the fact that Reyna should have been soaked, her clothes looked moderately dry.

Reyna slipped a duffel bag off of her shoulder. She tossed it into the back of the van and spoke, “I just got here as well. It seems like we have good timing. Piper, how are you?”

“I'm good,” Piper said as she stepped out from behind the van. She examined Reyna. “I heard the breastplate is in style. Annabeth is even wearing it.”

“I love fashion,” Reyna commented with a small smile. She zipped up her jacket the rest of the way to hide her breastplate. Annabeth's jacket covered her own breastplate. Piper was the only one without armor, but her dagger was strapped to her side. “We should get under something that will protect us from the rain.”

Annabeth didn't protest, and she led her friends under an awning. They all stood around for a moment. It felt like they had all just realized that the quest had begun. Annabeth took a deep breath and looked at her friends.

“Did you get any sleep?” Piper questioned. They didn't need an answer to know that Reyna hadn't. There was bags around Reyna's eyes. Her eyes were red as well.

“I'm fine,” Reyna replied. She glanced at the restaurant and blinked a few times. It seemed like she was trying to blink away the tiredness. “Should we get breakfast first, or did you two already eat?”

“We haven't ate yet,” Annabeth answered. “When we woke up, we headed right over. I don't think either of us are fully awake yet. If we get breakfast, we can talk things over and make a plan.”

Annabeth watched her two companions for a moment. They both nodded, but their faces told completely different stories. Piper seemed happy to be able to sit down and make a plan. Reyna looked like she just wanted to rush in and find the shield.

“Do we have a list of suspects?” Reyna questioned. She took off her jacket and tried to wring water out of it. Annabeth and Piper followed her example. “And, are any of those suspects not our mothers?”

“It could be anyone who is an enemy of Ares,” Piper stated. Annabeth frowned. That statement did not narrow down their choices. Out of all of the Olympians, Ares probably had the most enemies.

“Hephaestus is suspect, but I don't think he would send a person to steal the shield. He would probably send a machine,” Annabeth responded. She put her jacket back on and zipped it up. Her breastplate helped protect her from the coldness of the rain.

Upon stepping inside, Annabeth found that there was only one patron in the restaurant. As she met the woman's eyes, her stomach did a flip. Reyna tensed next to her and slowly turned her head. The daughter of Bellona spoke, “Is that who I think it is?”

“My mother,” Annabeth confirmed. Her mind started racing. Why was Athena there? Olympians usually didn't help on quests, unless they wanted something in return. Athena wasn't someone that just gave out answers either. Someone would have to earn them.

“Is she in her Greek or Roman form?” Reyna asked. She stayed still as a waitress walked towards them. Athena had her eyes focused on them, but it seemed like she was really focusing on Reyna.

“Her Greek form,” Annabeth answered. She knew it in her gut. “My mother will be fine with you. She knows all that you have done, and she gave you her blessing on your cloak.”

“Can I get you three a booth or a table?” the waitress asked. Annabeth took a moment to look at her mother. The waitress grabbed three menus and watched them patiently.

“We're meeting someone. She's right there,” Piper responded. The waitress nodded and led them towards Athena. Reyna seemed a little more hesitant to follow, but she was only a step behind them.

Athena watched them the entire time. She was wearing a plain, white dress, but it looked regal on the goddess. Athena's gaze lingered on Reyna. It was like she wanted to find some kind of weakness in the daughter of Bellona.

“Lady Athena,” Reyna greeted. She swallowed painfully but stood strong. Despite whatever fear Reyna was feeling, she refused to show it. Athena studied her for a few more moments.

“Roman,” Athena said. The word sounded like poison on her lips. Her attention moved towards the two Greek demigods. “Piper. Annabeth.”

“Mother,” Annabeth greeted. She watched her mother extend a hand to the booth in front of her. There was only enough room to seat two people. Piper sat by the window, and Reyna sat next to her. Annabeth was left to sit next to her mother, which was probably the wisest choice.

“We do not have much time together, so you must listen closely,” Athena said. She glanced out the window. “The shield is a distraction for something much bigger, but I do not know what it is. That is why you three must go to North Dakota.”

“Is the thief in North Dakota?” Piper asked. She seemed a little intimidated by Athena. Annabeth couldn't blame her though. If anyone asked her, the most dangerous immortal was Athena. Her brains were more valuable than anything else.

Athena didn't respond. She glanced to her left. Annabeth took that as her cue, and she spoke, “It wouldn't be that easy. There has to be something in North Dakota that will lead us to the shield, but it is likely that the thief is not there.”

“There is not something but someone,” Athena corrected. “They may be able to help you, but you must convince them first. Even if you manage that, I am not sure how this will play out. It is a gamble that must be made.”

“Can you tell us anything about this person?” Reyna questioned. The goddess turned her gaze towards Reyna. A scowl grew on her face. The daughter of Bellona simply averted her eyes and waited for a response.

Annabeth saw the look that Piper sent to her. Piper was wondering what Reyna had done wrong, and truthfully, Annabeth was wondering the same thing. The goddess was being hostile for no obvious reason. Did she think that Reyna had stolen the shield?

“Mother, is there anything else we should know?” Annabeth asked. Athena glanced at her, but she soon looked back at Reyna. To her credit, Reyna was staring to the right of Athena's head and continued to remain emotionless.

“Yes. Roman, look at me,” Athena ordered. Reyna took a deep breath and met Athena's eyes. The goddess watched her for a long moment. “Don't screw up.”

“Yes ma'am,” Reyna said. Her teeth were clearly clenched. She glanced at Annabeth and stood. “If you'll excuse me, I will be back.”

Reyna walked away without waiting for a response. She walked towards the bathrooms and disappeared behind a wall. Annabeth looked at Athena and spoke, “Mother, what are you doing?”

“I am being hard on the Roman,” Athena replied. Her tone made it seem like her response should have been obvious. Annabeth glanced at Piper against. Why was Athena acting like this? The goddess wasn't a teddy bear, but she was treating Reyna like she was an outsider.

“She has a name,” Piper interrupted. She immediately looked like she regretted it, as Athena looked at her. Piper sat up a little straighter, but she averted her eyes to look back at the menu.

“I agree, but she is a Roman, “Athena said. She glanced down and examined the menu distastefully. Annabeth frowned as she watched. She had hoped that mother would begin the process to forgive the Romans for how they treated her. With how Athena was treating Reyna, that hope was almost extinguished.

“Reyna has a done a lot of good,” Annabeth argued. She tried to continue, but Athena held up a hand. The goddess glanced at where Reyna had gone. The frown on her face deepened.

“This conversation will go nowhere, and we are wasting precious time. The Roman will play a crucial role in what is to come. That is one of the reasons I am giving her a hard time,” Athena explained. She sighed, and it almost sounded like she was tired.

“I told you earlier that the shield is a distraction,” Athena continued. “Ares cannot see past his anger and pride to see that. He wants to wage a war that will divide Olympus. That is why you three must make it back by the deadline.”

“We will,” Piper promised. Annabeth nodded her agreement. There was no way that they could fail, especially if the stakes were so high. Athena's eyes flickered away, and she seemed to be lost in thought.

“If you three do not return before the deadline, Bellona and I will hold a meeting with Ares. We will try to convince him to come to his sense,” Athena finished. She looked at Piper. “Daughter of Aphrodite, you are one of the few children of your mother that I respect. I want you to remember that your power lies within your speech, not within your charmspeak.”

“Thank you,” Piper said, after a moment. She slowly looked at Annabeth. It seemed like Piper was in shock and wondering if she had heard the goddess of wisdom correctly. Annabeth looked at her mother and found that her mother was watching her.

“Annabeth, you must remember who you are. You must remember who your friends are,” Athena said. “The future will not be easy, but you are one of the proudest things of my immortal life. I know that you will find the shield, but I want you to be safe.”

Annabeth swallowed painfully and tried to blink back tears. She didn't think anyone could get a higher honor than that. Annabeth looked up and saw Reyna turn the corner. Upon seeing Athena, Reyna slowed her pace.

“Excuse me,” Athena said. Annabeth quickly stood. She watched her mother exit the booth and walk towards Reyna. The daughter of Bellona simply looked at the goddess and remained silent. Athena's voice was too quiet for Annabeth to hear, but she saw Reyna nod determinedly.

“Your mom is kind of terrifying,” Piper commented. Annabeth nodded her agreement. She was busy watching her mother and her friend. Athena turned back around. There was a small smile on her face. It wasn't a happy smile, but it was one that said Reyna would do. Annabeth's curiosity was sparked.

Reyna walked back towards them. She sat by Piper and looked at the menu. The daughter of Bellona didn't say a word. After a few moments of Annabeth's intense staring, Reyna looked up.

“Are we going to trade off driving to North Dakota?” Reyna asked. She glanced at Annabeth and waited for an answer. Annabeth studied her for a moment before nodding.

“I'll drive first, so you can get some rest,” Annabeth replied. She studied Reyna for a few more moment. Reyna looked distracted, and that sparked Annabeth's curiosity even more. She needed to know what her mother had said.

“You don't want to know,” Reyna commented. It was like she had read Annabeth's mind. She flipped through the menu. The waitress walked up to them and asked them what they wanted to drink. Annabeth was forced to wait till they gave their drink orders. When the waitress walked away, she leaned forward.

“I do want to know,” Annabeth promised. “When my mother was done talking to you, she turned around and was smiling. Athena does not smile for no reason.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Reyna stated. She looked back down at the menu and bit her lip. “Do you two think that waffles or pancakes would be better?”

“Satisfaction brought the cat back,” Annabeth countered. Her eyes darted down to the menu. “I would go with waffles. I image that Camp Jupiter doesn't have much of that.”

“I thought curiosity was framed,” Piper added. Reyna rolled her eyes and flipped a page of the menu. It seemed like she was trying to act annoyed. Annabeth smiled. This quest was going to be fun.


	6. The Girl

As Annabeth drove, she kept hand on the steering wheel and the other on the radio knob. The only radio station they could get was for the weather. Everything else was static, and the van didn't have a working CD player. The three were left to listen to the sound of the rain.

To Annabeth, it was odd. Storms were appearing all over the country. Desert states were also being hit hard. Arizona was under a flash flood warning. Annabeth let go of the radio knob. She stayed focused on the road. It was nice to have a vehicle, for once.

“North Dakota is far,” Piper commented. She was looking through an Atlas and highlighting their route. They had bought it as soon as they finished breakfast. “It's going to about a twenty five hour drive.”

“It won't be so bad with two drivers,” Annabeth promised. Between her and Reyna, they would make good time and probably only need to stop for gas and food. If they got fast food, that would save them some time. She just wished that she had music. “Hopefully, the shield will be nearby.”

Annabeth also hoped that the rain would calm down. The last thing she needed was to drive through a construction zone with rain pouring. She took a deep breath and focused on the road in front of her.

“Reyna looks peaceful,” Piper commented. She looked behind her. Annabeth glanced up at the rearview mirror. She could see that Reyna was asleep, and her head was resting against the window. Her cape was being used as a pillow.

“I doubt she got any sleep on the way here,” Annabeth said. She glanced up at the sky. Somehow, it had gotten even darker, but Annabeth didn't think that was possible. Lightning danced across the sky, and thunder roared.

“Can we drive in the storm?” Piper asked. She seemed surprised by the sudden thunder. Piper leaned back in her seat and played with her jeans. “Or, should we pull over?”

“We can drive in the rain, as long as we're careful,” Reyna replied. Annabeth glanced at the rearview mirror. She saw Reyna rubbing her eyes. The praetor slowly looked outside.

“Did the storm wake you up?” Piper teased. Instead of responding, Reyna rested her head against the passenger's seat. “We could turn up the weather station. It might help block out the rain.”

“It's fine,” Reyna mumbled. It sounded like she was starting to fall back asleep. “I just don't like thunderstorms. They always freaked me out as a kid, and they never mean good things.”

“I thought you liked rain,” Annabeth commented. She thought about it for a moment. “So, you like rain by itself. You don't like it when there is thunder and lightning with the rain.”

“Yeah,” Reyna confirmed. It was odd to hear her sound so tired. “Annabeth, when you want to take a break, wake me up.”

“I will,” Annabeth promised. Her eyes focused on a road sign, and lightning suddenly struck the road in front of them. Annabeth jerked her steering wheel to the left to swerve around where the lightning had hit.

“What happened?” Reyna asked quickly. She sounded completely awake now. Annabeth just stayed focused on the road and kept her foot off of the gas pedal. Her thought process was that they should slow down. Lightning struck the ground in front of them again, and Annabeth jerk the wheel to the side.

Annabeth heard the squeal of tires, and the van suddenly fell on its side. Annabeth's head slammed into glass, and she blacked out for a few moment. When she opened her eyes, the van was dead silent.

It took Annabeth a moment to get her bearings. The van seemed to be laying on its passenger side. She turned her head to look at Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite had her arms covering her head.

Piper slowly lowered her arms and looked at Annabeth. She had blood trickling out of her mouth and a split lip. A quiet groan from the back told them that Reyna was at least conscious.

“Can you get out?” Piper asked. It took Annabeth a few moments to realize that Piper was talking to her. Annabeth blinked a few times and nodded. She tried to unbuckle her seat belt, but it wouldn't budge.

“I'm stuck,” Annabeth said. She closed her eyes painfully. There was pain in the side of her head. “I might have a concussion. Reyna, are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” Reyna replied, which sounded like a lie. “Give me a moment.”

Annabeth heard the sound of a van door opening. Her door opened a moment later. Annabeth slowly looked at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona grabbed a dagger and cut the seat belt.

Annabeth almost fell into Piper, but she caught herself with her feet. It also helped that Reyna had a tight grip on her jacket. With Reyna's help, Annabeth managed to climb out of the van.

“You're bleeding,” Reyna commented. Her eyes were flickering around for threats. Annabeth knew that Reyna was probably having flashbacks to being attacked by Laistrygonian giants. Annabeth slowly looked around.

They seemed to be in some kind of ditch. The van was completely on its side, and she would have to find someway to jump down. They also needed to pull Piper out of the van. Annabeth doubted she would be able to help. Her head was pounding,

“I'll help you down,” Reyna said. “Then, I'll help Piper out. Do you have a concussion?”

“Maybe,” Annabeth replied truthfully. Reyna helped her down from the van. As soon as Annabeth's feet were on the ground, she heard a growl. She saw Reyna turn and grab the hilt of her sword.

“I can handle this,” Annabeth promised. It took one second for Reyna to nod and focus back on the van. Annabeth blinked a few times to get adjusted to the darkness. She looked around for any sign of a monster.

Annabeth grabbed her dagger. It was strapped to her shoulder. Her sword was in the back of the van, and there was no way she could spend time prying the door open. Annabeth took a step around the van, and lightning struck the ground right in front of her.

Annabeth stumbled back stunned and surprised. Something heavy slammed into her a moment later. The force slammed her to the ground, and her head cracked against the unforgiving asphalt. If she didn't have a concussion before, she definitely had one now.

A hellhound stared down at her and licked its lips. All Annabeth could see was red eyes slowly moving closer to her face. The hellhound opened its mouth, but it suddenly disintegrated on top of her.

It took a few moments for Annabeth to realize that her life had just been saved. She slowly looked up ready to thank Reyna or Piper for saving her. Instead, she saw that Reyna was just pulling Piper out of the van. They both looked at her.

“Are you hurt?” Reyna asked. She jumped down from the van. Reyna offered a hand. After a few moments of dazed blinking, Annabeth grabbed her friend's hand. She was pulled to her feet.

“I'm okay,” Annabeth replied. She slowly looked around and saw movement in the shadows. There seemed to be a figure in the treeline, and they were lowering their bow. When Annabeth blinked, they were gone.

Piper walked towards her and knelt by the pile of monster dust. It took her a moment to grab an arrow and hold it up. Annabeth stared at the arrow, as she realized it was what had saved her. Besides the smiley face carved into the shaft, the arrow looked normal.

“I don't think Hunters of Artemis carve this into their arrows,” Piper commented. She looked around. “Who did this?”

“I don't know, but they saved my life,” Annabeth said. She closed her eyes painfully. Someone pressed something into her hands.

“Eat this,” Reyna ordered. Annabeth opened her eyes and looked at the ambrosia in her hands. There was no complaints as she ate it. “We should start walking. We aren't safe here.”

“Where are we going to go?” Piper asked. Instead of answering, Reyna pried open the back of the van. She handed Piper her backpack. Then, she grabbed her duffel bag and Annabeth's backpack.

“There's a gas station about a quarter of a mile back down the road,” Annabeth answered. She became acutely aware of how bad it was raining. Their clothes were almost soaked, and their bags would soon follow. “Reyna, I can carry my bag.”

“Let's go,” Reyna said. Without waiting for a response, she started to walk. Annabeth sighed and followed. Was Annabeth as bossy as Reyna?

“Was the lightning trying to hit the van?” Piper asked. Annabeth took a second to remember the moments before the crash. It seemed like the lightning was trying to hit them, or it was trying to knock them off the road. She didn't know which one was worse.

“I think so,” Annabeth answered. The pain in her head was mostly gone. “Someone did save me. I just wonder how they knew where we were.”

“Do you think we're being followed?” Reyna asked. The daughter of Bellona quickly grabbed her sword handle. She looked around as if scanning for threats. For the first time, Annabeth could see that Reyna was walking with a limp.

“Reyna, are you hurt?” Piper questioned. She seemed to have noticed the limping as well. Reyna slowed her pace, so she fell in step beside them.

“I'm more concerned about Annabeth's head,” Reyna said. Annabeth did not appreciate the deflection of the question. It was a smart move, but they weren't about to let Reyna hide her pain. Annabeth looked at the praetor.

“The ambrosia fixed whatever damage the crash and hellhound did,” Annabeth promised. “Reyna, your knee was hurt pretty badly. If it got injured again, we need to know.”

“My knee slammed against the van's door,” Reyna admitted. She looked away and focused ahead. “It hurts, but I'll be okay. Piper, do you have any injuries we should know about?”

“It's only my lip, and I bit my tongue,” Piper responded. She fixed her own hood. The rest of the walk was spent silently looking out for threats. Reyna seemed to be the most on edge, and she kept turning around.

It felt like hours before they reached a lone gas station. There was only one car parked outside. Annabeth picked up speed until they were at the front door. She then realized that they were soaking wet.

The gas station attendant looked at them. Annabeth met his eyes, and he motioned for them to come in. Annabeth held the door open for her friends. As Piper stepped inside, she tried to wipe her shoes on the floor mat, but it didn't do much to help. They were soaked to the bone.

“Is there a hotel nearby? Our van broke down, and we need some help,” Piper said as she walked towards the counter. There was a small amount of charmspeak in her voice. It seemed like Piper didn't realize it, or she was just worried that they were going to get kicked out of the gas station.

Reyna walked towards an aisle that contained bags of chips. Before she had turned away, Annabeth saw a look of anger and disgust on her face. Annabeth followed behind her and spoke, “You don't like charmspeak, do you?”

“We were both at Circe's island,” Reyna answered. She didn't meet Annabeth's eyes. “You know what she did with it. I trust Piper, but when I hear charmspeak, it takes me back. I remember when Circe would use it when a guest got unruly or if she needed to keep an attendant under control.”

There was no missing the bitter tone. Annabeth brought a hand up to touch Reyna's shoulder. Her hand pulled away at the last second, and she covered the movement by pushing her hood down. Annabeth ran a hand through her wet hair.

“We should get some snacks,” Reyna suggested. Annabeth nodded and looked at their selections. As she reached out, they heard the door open. Pure curiosity caused Annabeth to turn her head.

“Reyna, heads up,” Annabeth whispered. She stared at the person that had stepped into the gas station. The thing that stood out was the fact that the person had a bow slung across their back. There was a bag of arrows across their back as well. A quick count showed only eleven arrows in the bag.

“George, what's up?” the person asked. Annabeth identified the voice as belonging to a girl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Reyna stiffen. “Have you seen this freak weather? The only thing I can find tonight is rabid dogs.”

“Sarah, hasn't your curfew passed?” George questioned. The girl, Sarah, chuckled slightly. She glanced at Annabeth and Reyna. Even though it was near impossible to see her face, Annabeth was sure that Sarah was grinning.

“What dad doesn't know won't kill him,” Sarah responded. “I see that you have a beautiful girl you are talking to, so I won't take up anymore of your time.”

Sarah turned and walked down the candy aisle. Reyna pushed past Annabeth and walked towards the   
archer. It took Annabeth a moment to follow. Upon seeing them, Sarah took a step back. Her hood allowed her features to stay out of sight.

“Long time no see,” Reyna said. She crossed her arms and watched the archer closely. “What are you doing here? Actually, you can tell me how you know about me and my sister.”

As Reyna talked, she stepped closer to Sarah. For each step that Reyna took forward, Sarah took a step back. It wasn't long before the archer hit a wall.

“It was a fun time with the drakon,” Sarah commented. Annabeth frowned. This was the girl that had helped Reyna with the drakon, but they didn't seem to be friends. Reyna had also been sparse on the exact details. “If I may say, you look hotter than before.”

Reyna opened her mouth. Then, she closed it. Reyna seemed taken aback by the comment. Sarah tried to move, but she was slammed back into the wall.

“Why did you save me?” Annabeth asked. She stepped closer to them and hoped that Piper was distracting George. The last thing they needed was for George to call the cops on them.

“You're kind of hot,” Sarah answered. Reyna unsheathed her dagger. “Wait! Hey, we're cool. You don't need to do this, okay? I saved Annabeth, so you guys could find the shield.”

“You know my name?” Annabeth asked. Sarah seemed to shrink underneath her gaze. “And, how do you know about the shield? How did you know where we were?”

“Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena. Everyone knows you,” Sarah said. “I don't know where the shield is, but I know that it needs to be found. And, I've been following you. Well, Reyna is the one that I have been following. Can we please put that dagger away?”

Reyna finally sheathed the dagger. She spoke, “Rhea told me that you would lead me to allies or enemies. You know about demigods, the shield, and my family. Who are you?”

Annabeth turned to look at Reyna. There was nothing about Rhea in the story that she had told everyone. It also sounded like Sarah had a bigger role in the story.

“When you get to North Dakota, you will get your answers. Together, we can find the shield. I want to be allies, Reyna. It's not safe for me to talk to you two anymore,” Sarah said.

“No more games,” Reyna said. “I'm not letting you go until you tell me who you are. Who is your godly parent? Why isn't it safe for you to talk to us?”

“North Dakota,” Sarah repeated. “That's where our home base is. Now, I would love to stay and chat with you two, beautiful women, but I have to get going.”

Annabeth stepped to the side. Before she could blink, Sarah was already out the door. Annabeth slowly looked at Reyna and spoke, “What happened with her?”

“When I woke from the building collapsing, Sarah was talking to someone in an Iris message. She was going to bring me in. Rhea saved me and gave me the vial around my neck,” Reyna explained. “I don't know what is in the vial.”

Annabeth nodded. She lead Reyna back towards the counter. Along the way, they grabbed snacks and drinks. Reyna paid at the counter.

“Who was that?” Piper asked George. She also glanced at Annabeth and raised an eyebrow that asked the same question.

“Her name is Sarah. I see her about once a week,” George answered. “She usually hunts with another group of kids.”

Annabeth frowned. There was no way that Sarah could be a Hunter of Artemis. There would be no reason for Sarah to be so mysterious, unless she was going against Artemis' orders. Why would she do that though? It just didn't sound right.

“Anyway,” George said. He looked back at Piper. “The nearest hotel is two miles to the east. All you need to do is turn right when you walk out of here and follow the road.”

“The road that we were just walking on,” Annabeth realized. “We will have to double back and pass by the van again. Do you think it will be safe?”

“Why wouldn't it be safe?” George asked. Annabeth blinked and realized they were still talking in front of a mortal. She sighed tiredly and looked at her friends.

“The rain isn't that safe to walk in,” Piper answered smoothly. “We'll be fine though. Thank you for your time.”

Annabeth watched Reyna stuff their food into a duffel bag. Reyna's mind seemed to be racing, and Annabeth didn't blame her. The meeting with Sarah had given them many questions, but so far, they had no answers.


	7. The Hydra

Reyna silently placed a hand to her sword's hilt. After the incident with the hellhound and running into Sarah, nothing else could be left to chance. It would take her half a second to draw her sword, but she hoped she wouldn't have to. Reyna looked down and sighted.

North Dakota was their destination, but they didn't have a way to get there. Reyna could hotwire a car, but that would put them on the wrong side of the law. They couldn't afford that kind of altercation, so they would have to find another way to North Dakota. Thankfully, it was only the second day of the deadline.

Reyna glanced back at her companions. Her gaze focused on the Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was in a deep conversation with Piper about the next game of capture the flag. Athena's words ran through Reyna's head: protect my daughter.

Protecting people was something that Reyna could do, but it was much harder to do on a quest. There was so many things that could happen, and Reyna wouldn't be able to do much about it. Only Jupiter knew what kind of monsters could attack them. There would also be danger in confronting the person that had stolen the shield.

Annabeth was also more than capable of handling herself. If there was a bright side to the request, it was that Athena cared enough about her daughter to ask someone else to protect her. Some mothers weren't like that. It took Reyna a moment to shove the bitter thoughts aside. Later, there would be time to be angry, but first, they needed to get to the hotel.

As Reyna looked up, she saw the wrecked van in front of them. Something was wrong though. Reyna couldn't put her finger on it, but it caused her to go on edge. Her nerves were frayed enough by the encounter with Sarah. A twig suddenly snapped.

Reyna turned towards the noise and unsheathed her sword. Instincts caused her to throw herself backwards. Acid flew right over her head and hit the van. Reyna scrambled to her feet and saw that her friends had scattered.

“Hydra!” Annabeth called. She held her own sword in her right hand. The Hydra jumped in between the three of them. Most of the heads focused on Annabeth, since she was the last one to make any type of noise.

“Does anyone have fire?” Piper questioned. When no one answered, she grimaced. “That's what I thought. Does anyone have any ideas on how to beat this?”

“We have to dodge it until we think of something,” Reyna replied. A majority of the Hydra's heads turned towards her. Reyna glared angrily and waited for the Hydra to strike. She had left her lighter back at Camp Jupiter, and it was a stupid decision that she was regretting.

Annabeth and Piper nodded their agreement. The three demigods attacked the Hydra as one. The fight consisted of constantly attacking anything but the head and dodging everything else. It quickly became exhausting.

Surprisingly, it was Annabeth who made the first mistake. She was focused on the majority of the Hydra's heads, and one took its attention from Piper. It knocked Annabeth's sword from her hand and lunged at her. Piper had no choice but to jump in and cut the Hydra's head off.

Reyna gripped her sword as two heads grew back. At this rate, they were not going to win the fight. They needed to run or find a way to get fire. Reyna parried a head and glanced around. Her focus fell on the van.

“Chase!” Reyna called. She glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena picked her sword up from the ground and looked at Reyna. “Keep the Hydra distracted. I have an idea on how to get rid of it.”

“We'll protect you,” Annabeth promised. Reyna sheathed her sword and didn't hesitate. She turned and ran towards the van. Without hesitation, Reyna jumped towards the van and pulled herself up onto it. The van was still on its passenger side, which made her next move tricky.

Reyna unsheathed her dagger and moved towards the small door that protected the gas cap. She tried to open it, but nothing happened. Reyna used her sword to pry the small door open. It took her a few moments to think of what she needed to do.

A cry of pain caught her attention. Reyna turned to see Piper fall backwards. There was steam coming from her pant leg, and it seemed like some of the Hydra's acid had hit her leg. Annabeth stood in front of Piper.

“Look out!” Annabeth called. Reyna felt the Hydra slammed into the van. The force of the hit knocked Reyna off of the van, but she managed to roll through the fall. She watched the van slide a few inches before rolling onto its roof.

Reyna found herself separated from her friends, and the Hydra was turning on her. Piper and Annabeth were on the other side of the van. It was probably better that way. Reyna gripped her sword handle and took a deep breath.

“Get away from the van!” Reyna yelled. She rolled to the side as the Hydra spat acid at her. Reyna jumped to her feet and saw that the gas tank was facing towards her. After taking a deep breath, she flipped her sword into a javelin.

All she could do was hope that Annabeth and Piper were far enough away from the van. Despite the fact that she was fighting the Hydra, Reyna risked closing her eyes. It had been five years since she attempted this. After a moment, she was able to channel all of her thoughts in one thing: fire.

The tip of her javelin burst into flames. As soon as that happened, Reyna almost passed out. Using magic of any kind was extremely draining, if the person using it was not properly trained. The Hydra recoiled in what could have been fear, and it took a step backwards.

Reyna threw her javelin. It flew by the Hydra's head and hit the van where the gas cap had been. There was a small moment of silence, and then, the van exploded. Reyna tried to throw her cape over herself, but she wasn't fast enough.

The force of the explosion threw her into a tree. Her head cracked against the tree. Reyna fell to the ground and rolled onto her back. She stared up at the sky and blinked a few times. Her eyes slowly closed, as darkness overcame her.

* * *

_“Do you still believe that the way of the sword is better?” Circe questioned. She stared down at the young attendant in front of her. Reyna slowly forced herself to look up. The daughter of Bellona nodded once, but the nod was met with a hard slap._

_“Your sister has been very cooperative with me. She appreciates that I have given you two a home. I took you two in, when you had no where to go. You do not appreciate it,” Circe lectured. She started to pace. “I have given you everything, but you want to throw it all away.”_

_“I'm sorry,” Reyna finally mumbled. She didn't mean it. Reyna never did. All she wanted was for Circe to stop lecturing her. Circe slapped her once again, but the force of this one caused the daughter of Bellona to stumble backwards._

_“Magic cannot be embraced with your attitude. You rely on a weapon, but eventually, that weapon will become too dull or break. It can fail you. Magic will never let you down. If it does fail, it is because you were too weak to control it,” Circe said. “Get out of my sight.”_

_Reyna could only stare. This was the first time that Circe had cut a lesson short. In fact, she couldn't remember a time that Circe had cut a lesson short for any of her attendants. Reyna flinched as the witch raised her hand again, and she had no choice but to leave the room. As she walked, all she could hear was the sounds of woman gushing over the spa._

_Magic was difficult for Reyna to grasp. There was so many variables that one had to consider. A weapon was much easier to use. All you had to do was rely on your own skill and training. It helped that she was a daughter of Bellona._

_Reyna stopped outside of the room that she shared with her sister. It was a large room for two attendants to have, and there was space for Hylla's pet. Reyna didn't have any pets, and she didn't want any. Her mind drifted from pets to how Hylla was going to be disappointed in her for angering Circe._

_As she grabbed the door handle, Reyna heard two voices. The first she recognized as Hylla, but the other was someone different. It sounded familiar, but it also sounded like a stranger. Reyna glanced at the door which was open slightly. She knelt by it and peeked inside._

_The first person she saw was her sister. Hylla wasn't speaking, but she was moving her hands in an angry manner. Reyna studied the woman who stood across from her sister. The woman was wearing a full set of armor. She had black hair that was tied in a loose ponytail. Reyna felt a sense of familiarity._

_“You both need to leave this spa,” the woman said. “This is not a safe place for you two. The two of you should not have come here in the first place.”_

_“This place is perfectly safe,” Hylla argued. Her angry, hand motions became even angrier. “It is safer than Puerto Rico, and it is safer than being on the streets! We can't go to that little camp of yours.”_

_“Circe is evil,” the woman insisted. Reyna couldn't help but like this woman. She knew what she was talking about. Reyna adjusted herself to get a better look of the woman._

_The woman was radiating some kind of power. It was comforting, and Reyna almost felt like she was at home. The power that the woman radiated was different from the power that Circe radiated, but Reyna couldn't pinpoint how, other than it being more comforting._

_“All of a sudden, you care about us?” Hylla demanded. She clenched her fist and started to pace. “What about when Reyna was breaking down crying? What about when we were on the streets? What about when we needed a safe home, but all we had was an abusive father!”_

_The woman remained silent for a few moments. It seemed like she was angry and trying to keep her anger in. In a clipped tone, the woman spoke, “You know that I could not directly help you. I risk getting into trouble now, by talking to you.”_

_“I don't care,” Hylla snapped. “For family, you always find a way. If we leave where do you even want us to go?”_

_“Camp Jupiter,” the woman replied. Hylla laughed like she found something funny. The woman grabbed her arm. “Reyna needs to go to Camp Jupiter. You must be there to protect her.”_

_“I already told you the camp isn't safe,” Hylla snapped. “If they knew what Reyna did, they would kill her! Circe told me all about them. The Amazons, if it came to it, would be a much better choice.”_

_“You cannot go to the Amazons. You must go to Camp Jupiter,” the woman insisted. She grabbed Hylla's face. “You must listen to me. I care greatly about you two.”_

_“Really, you haven't shown it yet,” Hylla said. Her voice was shaky, and it sounded like she was trying not to yell. “The only thing you care about is us doing what you want. You don't care about what is better for us. I can protect Reyna perfectly fine here!”_

_“A storm is coming to this spa,” the woman said. From her tone, it didn't seem like an actual storm. “You two cannot be apart of it. You must go to Camp Jupiter.”_

_“No,” Hylla said defiantly. She took a deep breath. It was like she realized what she had just said.”No. We are fine here.”_

_“You are going to regret this,” the woman warned. Her tone sounded angry, but it also sounded pained. “I just want what is best for you two. You must leave this spa and go to Camp Jupiter.”_

_“We are not leaving! You claim to want to help us, but Circe is more of a mother than you!” Hylla snapped. Reyna stared at the two. Hylla turned and met her eyes. Before her older sister could say anything else, Reyna turned and ran away._


	8. The Moment of Peace

When Reyna regained consciousness, the first thing she heard was metal slamming into metal. Her eyes opened quickly. When she tried to sit up, nausea kept her from moving. Reyna involuntarily groaned and placed a hand to her mouth. The sounds of metal hitting metal stopped.

“How are you feeling?” Annabeth questioned. Reyna slowly turned her head. The daughter of Athena was holding her sword. She stood next to Piper, who also held a sword. It seemed like the two had been sparring. Reyna blinked a few times and slowly examined her surroundings.

The sun was shining overhead, but the grass beneath her was still wet. Her head was resting against her duffel bag, and if they weren't on a quest, she would probably find her current position relaxing. Reyna took a deep breath, and she slowly sat up.

It took all of her willpower to not collapse onto her back. Reyna moved herself slightly, so she could lean against a tree. She felt completed drained of energy. Staying conscious was a struggle. Reyna spoke, “I'm fine.”

Annabeth studied her for a long time. She finally walked towards a fire that was in the middle of their small clearing. It seemed like some of the sticks were wet, but the fire was still burning well. Piper sat on her jacket near the fire and looked at Reyna.

“I didn't know we would have to deal with another Percy,” Annabeth chided. She knelt by Reyna and pressed the back of her hand against Reyna's forehead. A grimace came to her face. She removed her hand and sat down in between them. “You still have your fever.”

“I did what I had to do,” Reyna argued. She glanced down at herself. It felt odd to not have the familiar weight of her sword at her side. She almost felt off balance without it. “How long have I been unconscious?”

“A day,” Piper answered. Reyna felt even sicker than she had before. She had made a stupid decision by using magic, and it had cost them time that they could not afford. Reyna looked down at the ground.

“It's not your fault,” Annabeth said. She opened Reyna's duffel bag and handed a bottle of soda to Reyna. “We didn't have any other options, and we don't blame you. The Hydra was destroyed, but your weapon was as well.

“Your sword was thrown upwards before it exploded. I'm just glad that no tress were harmed and you, of course,” Piper added. Reyna slowly examined the daughter of Aphrodite. Piper's pant leg was torn, but there was no sign of the aftermath of the Hydra's poison.

“You were burning up when we first got to you,” Annabeth added. Reyna nodded and slowly opened the bottle of soda. She still felt weak. “I didn't know you could use magic.”

“I can barely use magic,” Reyna corrected. She took a long sip of the drink and sighed tiredly. After a moment, her eyes turned to look at the liquid inside of the bottle. “I learned some of the basics at Circe's island. If you aren't naturally skilled in it or highly trained, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to cast a single spell.”

Reyna didn't mention that she had probably almost killed herself by casting the spell. Since leaving Circe's island, she had not used magic. It reminded her of the witch. Whenever she thought of magic, she thought of the atrocious things that Circe had done. Hylla never noticed, or she just turned a blind eye. To her, all that mattered was that they were safe. Reyna found herself scowling again.

“Do you know when the Pegasi will be here?” Piper questioned. Reyna looked up in interest. It was a smart move to use Pegasi. They could make a long journey in a short amount of time, and Reyna regretted not thinking of using them in the first place.

“They will be here soon,” Annabeth promised. She glanced at Reyna and smiled slightly. “While you were sleeping, we sent an Iris message to Percy and Chiron. They sent three Pegasi to pick us up. It was Piper's idea.”

“How will the Pegasi know where we are?” Reyna asked. She slowly sat up, without having to use the tree for support. Reyna took another sip of her drink. She debated standing, but the nausea had just disappeared. It wouldn't be wise to chance it.

“Guido will be with them. He can sense where you are,” Annabeth explained. After throwing another stick into the fire, she sighed. It seemed like she had gotten lost in thought. Piper played with her sword, and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Reyna, do you think we could spar sometime?” Piper questioned. “I want to become better at fighting, and I think it will help to fight someone who has a different fighting style than the Greeks.”

“Of course,” Reyna answered. She slowly laid back down and stared up at sky. As silence fell over the camp, the dream came back to her mind. The woman, without a doubt, was her mother. That only caused questions to swarm through her head.

Why was she thinking of the dream now? Why did Bellona not want them to go to the Amazons, and why wouldn't Hylla listen? Did she really think that Circe was a better mother than Bellona? How could Hylla be so blind to all of the things that the witch had done?

Hylla's willingness to turn a blind eye to Circe's crimes was what bothered Reyna the most. Circe did provide them with a place to live, and she gave them training. That did not excuse the fact that the witch only cared about her attendants if they could be used for her agenda. A small part of Reyna told her that she was just trying to justify her hate for Circe.

Reyna finally forced herself to stand. The nausea was mostly gone, but she could feel the exhaustion throughout her body. It took her a moment to stretch. After that, she started to pace. Her exhaustion would have to be ignored.

Annabeth had been staring at the fire the entire time. She finally stood and turned towards Piper. The daughter of Athena spoke, “Are you ready to spar again?”

“I am,” Piper answered. She stood and gripped her sword. After a few moments of the two Greeks circling each other, Piper attacked. Reyna finished pacing and leaned on a tree. She watched them in interest.

It only took a few seconds to examine the two fighters. Clearly, Annabeth was going easy on Piper. When Piper opened up her guard, Annabeth gave her time to correct the mistake, instead of just disarming her.

Piper had a lot to learn. She kept letting her guard down, and it was probably because she was use to fighting monsters. If Piper ever fought another demigod, her guard always needed to be up. It was good that she was willing to learn. At Camp Jupiter, most of the children of Venus had to be threatened with punish, before they would actually train. They didn't put much effort into it.

Reyna crossed her arms as she watched. Out of instinct, she examined the two, Greek demigods like they were enemies. Reyna, as she realized what she had been doing, felt guilt. There two were her friends, but her instincts wanted to label them as enemies.

After a minute, Annabeth knocked Piper's sword out of her hand. Piper, without warning, picked up her sword and attacked again. Watching the fight gave Reyna a good grip on her friend's fighting styles. She even felt confident that she could defeat the two in a fight.

Piper was inexperienced, and she also kept her left side unguarded. It was clear that she was use to having a shield in her hands. That was something Piper needed to work on. She wouldn't always have a shield, so she would need to train without one.

Annabeth was skilled. There was no doubting that. If Annabeth was given enough time, she could pick apart any opponent's fighting style, but she was hesitant. She didn't take advantage of some opportunities and didn't take any risks.

It took only five minutes for Reyna to grow restless. There was nothing they could do but wait, and that did not sit well for her. Reyna walked towards the two demigods and spoke, “Mind if I join in?”

“You two can spar,” Piper answered tiredly. She stepped away from Annabeth and wiped the sweat from her brow. The daughter of Aphrodite walked towards Reyna's duffel bag and grabbed a drink from it. She took a long sip.

“Do you think that you can handle it, Roman?” Annabeth teased. Reyna turned towards Annabeth and didn't respond. She simply unsheathed her dagger and spun it in her hand. The two slowly circled each other.

“Do you think you can handle a one on one battle?” Reyna countered. “I know that you Greeks like to trick your opponent and team up on them. This is going to be a fair fight, so I know that is unfamiliar to you.”

Annabeth attacked without warning. Reyna dodged and punched Annabeth in the face. Reyna quickly spoke, “I'm sorry. That was out of instinct.”

“That was a low blow,” Annabeth complained, but her tone promised that no harm had been done. Reyna managed a small smile. The two attacked each other.

Annabeth did not hold back. She used every little trick that she knew, but she didn't take chances. Reyna was more than willing to get a little banged up, if it meant throwing Annabeth off her guard.

It was difficult to decide what the hardest part of the duel was. Annabeth's mind was extremely calculating, and she seemed to predict most of the moves that Reyna would make. Her sword also gave her a longer reach.

The end came when Reyna slammed her dagger into Annabeth's sword. She used pure strength to twist Annabeth's sword out of her grasp. Then, Reyna placed her dagger to her friend's throat. The clearing fell silent.

“You two were amazing,” Piper said after a few moments. Reyna lowered her dagger and sheathed it. She nodded to Annabeth and slowly walked back towards her duffel bag. Reyna painfully sat down.

“It was a good fight,” Reyna commented. She took a sip of her drink and closed her eyes. The duel had awoken her senses, and she was ready for anything. Her body was a different story. She was completely exhausted.

“If Reyna had a sword, she would have beaten me easily,” Annabeth commented. She sat down near the fire. Reyna just glanced up and gave her friend a small smile.

They fell silent until they heard the sounds of wings. Piper looked up and smiled. She spoke, “You guys hear that too, right? The Pegasi must be here.”

Reyna glanced up at the sky. She saw the Pegasi circling overhead. When her eyes found Guido, a smile crept onto her face. The three Pegasi landed in front of them. Reyna recognized Guido and Blackjack, but she didn't know the name of the third one.

Annabeth put the fire out and smothered it. After making sure the fire wouldn't reignite itself, the daughter of Athena grabbed her backpack. Reyna grabbed her duffel bag and stuffed her jacket inside. She walked towards Guido and pulled herself onto the Pegasus. As Reyna sat there, she vowed that there would be no more stupid mistakes.


	9. The Task

Piper never knew how sore she would be after riding a Pegasus. They had not stopped once, so she had been sitting in a saddle for hours. She didn't think she would be able to walk for awhile. At the moment, they were looking around a parking lot they had landed in.

No one was around, so it seemed like the best place to land. It was also near a general store, so they could buy any supplies that they needed. Piper sighed and watched the Pegasi take off. They were going to get food, water, and a lot of rest.

The entire flight over had been directed at finding the answer to one question: where were they suppose to go? Annabeth and Piper had been bouncing ideas off of each other, and Reyna had mostly listened. It got them nowhere. They had no clue what to do.

“Has anyone been hit with inspiration?” Annabeth questioned. She led the two towards the general store. Annabeth glanced around as if looking for any kind of threats or solutions.

“We can ask for directions,” Piper suggested. “There might be someone who knows Sarah. Maybe, they can tell us about anything weird that has happened with her. Does anyone have any ideas on who she could be?”

“A demigod, for sure,” Annabeth replied. She bit her lip and seemed to be lost in thought. Piper turned to look at Reyna. The praetor was silent and staring ahead. It seemed like she was extremely focused.

“Can we trust them?” Reyna questioned. “We don't know who this group is. Sarah has been following me, and she knows about Hylla and me. They wanted us. How can we trust them?”

No one knew the answer to that, and it caused silence to fall over the trio. The silence followed them into the general store. When they stepped inside, Reyna stopped in her tracks. A girl turned towards them, as she heard the door open.

“Praetor,” the girl said after a moment. Her cruel, brown eyes narrowed into a glare. She studied Reyna and walked forward. The air conditioning caused her dark, brown hair to billow behind her. Reyna's hand moved towards her dagger.

“Vera,” Reyna said. The two stared each other down. It didn't take long for Piper to remember Vera. That made her gently grab Reyna's arm, so she could let her friend know that they were there for her.

Vera had been one of the rogue Amazons that had attacked Reyna. When Vera turned on the leader of the rogue Amazons and helped Reyna, she was pardoned from her crimes. Piper didn't expect Hylla to be so forgiving, considering she was willing to tear an entire forest apart to find her sister.

“You three must be looking for the shield,” Vera commented. Piper exchanged glances with Annabeth. How did everyone seem to know that they were looking for the shield? If Vera knew, had she been sent by Hylla?

“What do you know about it?” Annabeth questioned. She stepped forward, so she was standing next to Reyna. Piper followed the example. She noticed that some people were glancing at them, as they checked out at the register.

“Some annoying goddess appeared to us in our base and accused Queen Hylla of taking the shield. Obviously, Queen Hylla denied it, and she has an alibi. The goddess didn't push the issue. I guess she found you guys to blame,” Vera answered.

They heard the sound of a cart rushing towards them. A girl jumped on the cart as it sped forward. As the cart neared Vera, the girl jumped off and stopped it. From what she was wearing, she seemed to be an Amazon. Vera glared angrily.

“Will you three stop playing around and hurry up?” Vera demanded. Piper glanced inside the cart and saw food along with rope, matches, lighters, and other supplies for a night of camping. “We're here to find those idiotic demigods in the forest. We are not here for you three to play with carts like children.”

Two more Amazons joined the first. None of them offered a response to Vera. It was hard to tell if the lack of a response was from fear or respect. Piper couldn't imagine that Vera was very high ranking, but she could have also proven herself to Hylla.

Piper slowly looked at her friends. They seemed to have the same thought, and it was silently communicated between the three of them. Sarah's group was the demigods that the Amazons were hunting. That meant they should help the Amazons and tell Vera, right?

“We need to get going,” Vera muttered. “There's a lot of forest to cover. And, there are a ton of new recruits that are the most annoying demigods in the world.”

“You know that you love us!” An Amazon called. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw Reyna tense. Reyna was watching the Amazon, and it was almost like she recognized her.

“Kelsey, I love the three of you, when your mouths are closed,” Vera snapped. She placed both hands to her face and took a deep breath. “I hate these new recruits. I really do.”

“Vera, I think we forgot something on the list,” Kelsey said. She quickly grabbed Vera's arm and dragged her out of sight. Piper noticed a frown on Reyna's face.

“Do you know Kelsey?” Piper asked, as they walked out of earshot of the Amazons. Reyna seemed to be lost in thought. Annabeth was studying the aisles and looked like she was making a mental grocery list.

“I'm not sure,” Reyna replied. “I feel like I should know her, but the memory isn't there. She is definitely familiar though.”

“If the Amazons are here, that means Hylla must be here,” Annabeth commented. She stopped walking and looked at them. “Hylla could help us, and we can work with the Amazons.”

“Wait,” Piper said. She frowned and stared at the floor. “We know that Sarah is in a group that will either be our enemies or friends. If the Amazons are looking them, aren't they already enemies? Shouldn't we just go right to the Amazons and help them?”

“The Amazons suspect that Sarah's group is involved. I don't think they have any proof of it,” Annabeth countered. Piper nodded and thought about it more. Reyna watched them for a few moments.

“If Hylla is here, I'm sure she will help us,” Reyna said. She looked around and led them into another aisle. Kelsey was showing off a box of cereal to a very unamused Vera. Reyna made her way towards the Amazons. “Vera, I need to speak to my sister. Where is she?”

“Queen Hylla isn't here,” Vera answered. She looked at them. “She stayed back at one of our new bases. It's a pretty cool house, but anyway, she couldn't come with us. Queen Hylla has some real important meeting.”

“Do you know who Hylla is meeting with?” Piper questioned. Vera shrugged. As Kelsey tried to place the cereal into her hands, Vera grabbed the box and flung it across the aisle. The Amazon gave a quarter of a wave and walked away. Kelsey quickly followed.

“Well, you two didn't kill each other,” Annabeth commented. She looked at Reyna and smiled slightly. “That's progress.”

“I still owe Vera the chance to beat the crap out of me,” Reyna said, with a shrug. Piper smiled as the watched the two. They were talking about Reyna's near death experience like it was a walk in the park.

“We should get something to eat,” Annabeth suggested. Piper's stomach rumbled her agreement. “After that, we can go shopping for the supplies we'll need. It's no good shopping on an empty stomach.”

“What about Sarah and her group?” Reyna questioned. They started to follow Annabeth down the aisle. As they passed the register, Piper saw the Amazons were still checking out. Vera didn't look interested in talking to them anymore, so Piper kept her mouth shut.

“We're at our destination. They will just have to find us,” Annabeth answered. She made it outside and looked at their surroundings. It was like she was trying to soak everything in and enjoy the sights. Reyna was glancing around, probably for threats. Piper just tried to relax and enjoy the tiny bit of sun that was peeking out from behind the clouds.

There was a restaurant only a block from the general store, and without saying a word, the three demigods walked towards it. Reyna held the door open for them. Her eyes scanned behind them. It was almost like she was daring a monster to attack them and pay the price.

“Reyna, are you going to get the Caesar salad?” Piper asked, as she stepped inside. Reyna gave her a confused look, and a hostess walked up to them. “Table for three, ma'am.”

“Follow me,” the hostess said with a kind smile. She led the three of them towards a booth that was mostly away from everyone else. As they walked, Piper glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena gave her a knowing smile.

Reyna sat facing the front door. One hand casually rested near her dagger. For most of the day, she seemed to be in a bad mood. Piper sat by Reyna and spoke, “Have you made up your mind about getting the Caesar salad?”

“Any salad is a Caesar salad, if you stab it enough times,” Annabeth commented. She sat across from them. Reyna gave the two of them a sharp glare, but it only caused the two Greeks to laugh.

“Et tu are getting a salad?” Piper asked Annabeth. She saw Reyna rub her face annoyed. There might have been a smile threatening to break out on her face. That was all Piper wanted.

“First, Latin does not work like that,” Reyna said. It seemed like she was ready to give them a lecture. Piper heard a bell ring, as the front door opened. Reyna's eyes narrowed into a glare.

Piper quickly looked up from the menu. She focused on the front door and saw two people looking around. From the bow on their back and their posture, one of them was Sarah. The other person was a little more terrifying.

The man seemed to be about twenty years old. His black hair was shaped into a mohawk that looked like it could stab someone's eye out, and the red tips made it seem like it already had. Even from across the restaurant, Piper could see that his eyes were a bright green.

Sarah led the man towards the three demigods. Since a hood covered her face, Piper was forced to imagine the smirk on Sarah's face. Piper slowly looked back at the man. He examined them as if he was trying to find the best way to destroy them.

“Long time no see,” Sarah commented, as she made it to the table. She sat on Annabeth's right. The man sat on Annabeth's left. They had her trapped between them. “Now, we need to lay down some ground rules. If any of you pull a weapon, we will kill the three of you. Let's try and have a friendly day, shall we? This is Thorn.”

Thorn only nodded to them. He was studying them closely. Piper wanted to ask if he kicked puppies for fun in his spar time. She was almost a little scared to ask. Reyna sat forward.

“Are you done with being unable to answer our questions?” Reyna demanded. Sarah seemed to contemplate her answer. After a minute, she shrugged. “Is the confidence thanks to your backup?”

“Praetor, I want to have a nice day,” Sarah commented. “You don't have to be so cranky. The weather is beautiful, and it's likely that we won't kill you. In fact, we'll answer any questions you have, after you find something for us.”

“What exactly do we need to find?” Annabeth asked. She looked at the two people that were trapping her in the booth. She grabbed some of the bread that had been in the middle of the table. Annabeth used a knife to place butter on it, and she placed the knife near her.

“You are not going to find anything,” Thorn said. His voice was smooth, despite how rough his features looked. He motioned towards Reyna and Piper. “Those two are going to find it. You, daughter of Athena, will be our prisoner.”

“It's like going to school and having to take a test,” Sarah commented. “It sucks, and you might die. You don't have a choice in it though. When you two find the box, you can meet us at our base.”

Sarah passed them a piece of paper. After a moment, Piper took it. She assumed the paper had directions to their base. Piper pocketed it and watched the two mysterious people in front of her.

“We're finding a box?” Piper questioned. She received a nod from Thorn. “What is so important about this particular box?”

“It holds something very important and very powerful in it,” Sarah replied. “We were transporting it to a safer location, but our convey was ambushed. Whoever ambushed our convoy almost killed them. We haven't been able to get a description on the attackers, so we have no clue what you could be up against.”

“Where is the box?” Reyna asked. She crossed her arms and glanced at Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite took a moment to give her friend a reassuring nod. It was hard to read Reyna's expression.

“We tracked it to a warehouse on the edge of town. It's called Biscuit Hounds. You can ask anyone in the town, and they'll know where it is. When you do get this box, you will come to our base. The address is on that paper the daughter of Aphrodite has. Once you disarm, you'll be allowed inside.”

“If you two hurt Annabeth, you'll regret it,” Reyna warned. Her voice sounded more dangerous than Piper had every heard. She glanced at her friend. There was no emotion on Reyna's face.

“If you two do as we say, she'll be fine,” Sarah promised. “You should get going, before the box gets moved. That would be a failure of the mission, and praetor, you can't fail your mission.”

Reyna glared and stood. Piper slowly followed her example. A look at Annabeth caused the daughter of Athena to give her a reassuring nod. Piper took a deep breath, and she followed Reyna out of the restaurant.


	10. The Group

Like every other sane person in the world, Annabeth didn't like to be used as a bargaining tool. Last time, she had been tricked into taking the weight of the sky and holding it up. Being held captive by Sarah and Thorn wasn't so bad, in retrospect.

After Reyna and Piper had left, Annabeth found the two people next to her did not move. They waited a few minutes and finally had a conversation in another language. Thorn had grabbed Annabeth by her shoulder and dragged her out of the restaurant, like she was a small child. 

They had led her towards two horses. Before Annabeth was allowed to mount, Sarah checked her over for weapons. Somehow, she missed the dagger that was strapped to Annabeth's shoulder, underneath her jacket. Sarah gave an all clear, and Annabeth was allowed to mount the horse.

Now, it seemed like they were on the way to the base. Annabeth looked down at the horse she was riding. Thorn sat behind her and held a knife to the small of her back. He seemed pretty content with holding her hostage. Annabeth forced herself to focus on the interesting color of the horse.

The horse was a chestnut color, but the mane was a bright orange. It was almost like the sun. Annabeth ran a finger through the mane. She could feel someone's eyes staring a hole into her. Annabeth slowly looked to her right.

The shadow of Sarah's hood made it impossible to read her facial expression, but she seemed extremely interested in Annabeth. The daughter of Athena considered trying to make a run for it. She could handle Thorn, even with the knife to her back. However, Sarah seemed to be able to use her bow, and if she was a child of Apollo, Annabeth wouldn't stand a chance.

“What is his name?” Annabeth asked. She ran a hand through the horses' mane again. It snorted in what could have been annoyance. Annabeth felt the annoyance was more from her not knowing the horse's name than brushing the mane.

“Eous,” Thorn answered, after a few moments. His breath was hot on her neck. Annabeth resisted the urge to shiver. She focused her mind on trying to figure out why the name was so familiar. Thorn seemed to notice her struggle. “Eous was one of the many horses that drove around Helios' chariot. When Apollo took over, the four horses were replaced.”

Annabeth nodded slightly. She remembered seeing the name from when she had been studying the Titans before the battle of Manhattan. Annabeth was hoping to find strategies to use against Kronos. If she was really lucky, she would find one of his weaknesses. There was a small chance that she had gotten distracted.

Hearing Thorn's explanation brought one question to her mind. Why did this group have horses that belonged to Helios? Why weren't the horses with Apollo? Even if Apollo didn't use them, he would probably want to have them as trophies. Annabeth spoke, “How did you get Eous, if he belonged to Helios?”

“The four leaders of our group have one,” Thorn said. He completely ignored Annabeth's question. “Sarah's horse is named Sterope. I wouldn't get to close to Sterope. She has quite a temper.”

“We get them the day we are elected to lead,” Sarah added. She pulled her horse next to them, and Sterope seemed to glare at Annabeth. Something told her that the horse did not like her. “Every two years, we hold an election to decide who leads.”

Annabeth nodded. She didn't know why they were giving her so much information about them, but if it could help her, she would ask all the questions that she could. Any knowledge about the group could prove to be extremely useful. Annabeth spoke, “How does your leadership and elections work?”

“We have about one hundred people in our group,” Sarah answered. “We put them in groups of four or five and have them in key locations all over the United States. The leader of that group can be considered to lead all of us. Every two years, the election comes up for our four, key positions: scout, doctor, general, and strategist.”

“Should we be telling her so much?” Thorn interrupted. He watched Annabeth for a long moment. “Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter can use this information against us. I don't think they should know anything about us, especially if one of them is a daughter of Athena.”

“Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was telling you about the elections,” Sarah said. She completely ignored Thorn. “Everyone will cast a vote, and an unbiased person will read the votes aloud. The majority wins”

“Why four leaders?” Annabeth questioned. She assumed that the two with her were leaders. All she needed to do was find the other two. “I always thought that three would be a better number.”

“Every vote we have needs the majority vote to pass,” Thorn answered quietly. He cleared his throat. “It is harder to convince three people to act than it is to convince two people to act. Most of the decisions we make are put to a debate and vote.”

“Who are you?” Annabeth asked. The question silenced her two captors. Annabeth watched them curiously. She was sure that they weren't children of Olympians. They were probably children of the minor gods. “Who are your godly parents?”

Sarah suddenly brought her horse to a stop. She turned to face them. Thorn brought his horse to a stop, and Annabeth slowly looked in between her two captors. Thorn's face was emotionless, but he didn't look ready to talk. Sarah took a deep breath and sighed.

“My father is Lelantos,” Sarah finally replied. “He is the Titan of air. As you can tell from my father, we're not exactly demigods.”

“You're demititans,” Annabeth realized. It wasn't the most surprising of prospects. She knew that children of Titans had fought with Kronos during the battle of Manhattan. Some had escaped, and some had gone to Camp Half-Blood, with a desire to make up for what they had done. Annabeth expected most demititans to be evil, and she was worried this group would prove to be just that.

“My father is Perses,” Thorn added angrily. Annabeth felt the glare that he was giving Sarah. “He is the Titan of destruction, but you probably know him as the father of Hecate. That is the last question we will answer, until we get to our base.”

Annabeth nodded once. She remained silent as the horse started up again. They left behind the busy shops and made it towards houses. After a few more minutes, they passed into an abandoned part of town. Annabeth looked around at all of the abandoned apartments. The horses came to a sudden stop.

“Off,” Thorn ordered. It took Annabeth a moment to slowly dismount the horse. Thorn followed a moment later. The two horses took off down the street. Annabeth knew there was no way she could run. If she tried to, Sarah would put an arrow in her leg.

Sarah walked towards one of the apartments. She glanced around and placed a hand to the door. A whisper of a word escaped from her mouth. Annabeth couldn't translate it, so she knew it wasn't ancient Greek. It was something old though. The door swung open.

Thorn grabbed Annabeth's arm and led her inside. They stepped into the middle of an empty living room. Thorn led her into a hallway and towards a closet. He placed a hand to the door and spoke. It opened to reveal a ladder leading downwards.

The two demititans looked at Annabeth expectantly. It took the daughter of Athena a moment to climb down the ladder. When she reached the bottom of the ladder, she felt someone's eyes burning into her back. Annabeth turned around.

Two people stood in front of her. One was a meek looking boy. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. His eyes were blue, and he had blonde hair. It was easy to identify him as a child of Apollo, so why was he with demititans?

Annabeth looked at the other, a girl, and she found herself instantly tensing up. The girl seemed to be around the age of eighteen. Her eyes were gray and calculating. Unlike the others, the girl was wearing armor. She ran a hand through her short, black hair.

“Daughter of Athena, this is Oliver. He is our doctor,” Sarah said. She motioned to the boy. Oliver seemed to blush, and he cleared his throat multiples times. He stepped forward and held out a hand.

“It's nice to meet you,” Oliver said. It seemed like the effort of speaking just about killed him. He gave the girl a look that asked if he could leave. Annabeth assumed that Oliver had some kind of social anxiety.

“It's nice to meet you too,” Annabeth said. She smiled at Oliver and shook his hand. “My name is Annabeth Chase. This is a nice base that you have here.”

“Alex, the other two demigods are going after our box,” Sarah reported. She looked at the other girl. Annabeth turned towards Alex. Their gray eyes met. After a moment, Annabeth held a hand out to her.

“It's nice to meet you,” Annabeth said. Instead of shaking Annabeth's hand, Alex crossed her arms silently. “Even though you're a demititan, I hope we can work together.”

“Sarah, how much did you tell her?” Alex demanded. She looked at the Sarah, and the daughter of Lelantos took a step back. It seemed like she was scared of Alex. “Thorn, how much did you two tell her.”

“She deduced that we were children of Titans from our horses,” Thorn lied. “Annabeth is extremely smart, and I think she could make a useful ally. We should just tell her everything that we know.”

“No, we are not telling her a thing. If you want to put that to a vote, I know Sarah is on my side,” Alex said. She crossed her arms and looked at Sarah. “Right?”

“Right,” Sarah repeated. Her voice was barely there. Annabeth watched them in interest. From the time they had spent together, Annabeth knew that Sarah wanted to tell her as much as she could, but the presence of Alex seemed to kill that idea.

Thorn shook his head and walked away. He shoved past Alex and stalked down the hallway. Alex looked back at Annabeth. The two just studied each other. The demititan looked like she was thinking of twenty different ways to taken Annabeth out. Annabeth had already thought of forty different ways to take the four leaders out.

“I should get back to the infirmary,” Oliver said. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Oliver looked uncomfortable with any sort of social interaction. Annabeth knew that he had only greeted her to avoid being chewed out by the others.

When no one answered, Oliver took a step back. He turned around and walked down the hall as fast as he could. Annabeth looked back at the two demititans in front of her. She spoke, “What is so special about this box? What is in it?”

“We'll know when the right person touches it,” Alex replied. She uncrossed her arms. Annabeth nodded and was careful to keep her face emotionless. From how Alex responded, Annabeth suspected that the demititans didn't know what was the in box.

“Sarah, you should go have your shoulder checked out. We need to make sure that it is completely healed,” Alex said. It was clear that Alex wanted to speak to Annabeth alone. After a moment, Sarah looked down and walked away.

“Are there really four leaders, or are you just pulling the strings?” Annabeth questioned. Alex didn't respond. She just studied Annabeth for a long time. There was something intelligent and calculating in Alex's eyes. It almost seemed like she was a child of Athena. “Who is your godly parent?”

“Come,” Alex ordered. She completely ignored Annabeth's question and started to walk down a long hallway. After a moment, Annabeth followed and examined the hallway. The walls were made of stone, and every ten feet, there was a door with name of a person on it. Alex stopped at a door and pushed it open.

The first Annabeth noticed was the sheer amount of books in the room. It was like someone had just dumped an entire library into the room. Each pile of books reached up to their shoulders, and there was a small walkway they could navigate. Multiple notebooks were sprawled across the bed. There was a chessboard resting on a shorter pile of books.

“Sit,” Alex ordered. She grabbed books off of a chair and motioned for Annabeth to sit down. The back of the chair was against the wall, and even though Annabeth didn't like it, she forced herself to sit down. Alex sat across next to her and motioned to the chessboard. “Shall I start?”

“Go ahead,” Annabeth answered. She didn't really care for games of chess. Upon looking down, she saw the chess pieces on her side were Olympians. The chess pieces on Alex's side were Titans. Annabeth studied the pieces, as Alex made a move. “Why do you want to work with us?”

“I don't,” Alex answered. Annabeth moved her pawn and looked up at Alex. The demititan was watching her closely. Annabeth felt like she had seen those eyes before. “My father told me to work with you. He said it could mean the preservation of this world.”

“Why all of this secrecy?” Annabeth questioned. She moved another piece and tried to focus on the game, but all of her focus was on Alex. Many questions ran through her head, and all she could do was wait.

“Can you imagine what the demigods at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter would do if they knew about us?” Alex questioned. “We are not far removed from the war against Kronos. Since that war, mistrust of anything Titan related has grown greatly. No, we did not have a role in that war.”

“What about Ares' shield?” Annabeth asked. She mindlessly moved a piece to take Alex's pawn. Alex had been giving her pawns up easily, so Annabeth assumed that the demititan was focused on the conversation. “You seem to know about it. What do you have to do with the shield?”

“Are you asking if we stole it?” Alex wondered. She smirked. “I can promise you that the shield is nowhere near worth our time. I may have a lead on it though.”

“What is your lead?” Annabeth asked. She stopped playing and met Alex's eyes. Alex simply moved another piece and seemed to think about her answer.

“I will reveal my lead, when you have earned my trust,” Alex responded. She sighed. “You must be wondering why the Amazons are hunting us. The simple answer is that their queen is an idiot. She thinks we are involved, and she acts without any proof. Now, her Amazons are running around and trying to find us.”

“You have a lot of information,” Annabeth commented. She moved another piece and tried to focus on Alex's words. They must have seen the Amazons, but how did they know that Hylla didn't have any proof? Was Alex bluffing when she said that?

“That is what happens when you have troops in a variety of states. The Amazons, Hunters of Artemis, and your two camps are well scouted,” Alex answered. Annabeth found herself glaring. She did not like that the demititans knew so much about the camps, while the camps knew nothing of the demititans.

“We did not have direction for a long time,” Alex continued. “Our leaders feared doing anything that would anger the Olympians. We stayed cooped up in this base, only leaving to get supplies or run the occasional errand. When I was voted into leadership, I changed that. This group has gone from sitting in this base to a deadly army.”

“Is that a threat?” Annabeth questioned. She glared and moved her knight forward. A small smile came to Alex's face. Annabeth looked down and found herself in check. A quick look around showed that her king was trapped with nowhere to go.

“I believe that is checkmate,” Alex said. She leaned back in her seat. “As for you question, it could be a threat, depending on how all of this plays out.”

“You sacrificed a lot of pawns to win,” Annabeth commented. She wanted to get away from the tenseness of her conversation. Alex nodded. “It's a risky strategy.”

“It is,” Alex agreed. She stood. “But, those are the strategies that win wars. You must be willing to take a risk, in order to have victory. I have a room arranged for you and your friends. When you exit this room, you will turn to your right and walk all the way down the hall. The room is on your left.”

Alex led Annabeth towards the door. Before leaving, Annabeth looked at her and spoke, “What is so important about this box? Something tells me you didn't just make it up to see if you can trust us. What is in it?”

“I don't know,” Alex admitted. “It was given to us by an immortal. She demanded that we protect it until the right person comes along. Oliver learned that someone was planning on taking the box from its protected location, so we wanted to move it. We were ambushed, as it was being moved.”

“What did you mean by we will know what is inside when the right person touches it?” Annabeth questioned. Alex studied her for a moment and sighed. She seemed to relax slightly.

“We were told that the box would only open for the right person,” Alex explained. “Of course, we tried many things to open the box, but it won't budge. We just have to wait and see. I hope that we find the right person soon.”

“I wonder who that person is,” Annabeth muttered to herself more than Alex. Could it be a demititan? If so, why hadn't they already opened it. Was it a demigod?

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Alex said. “However, we do have a mutual goal. You want to find the shield to prevent a war. We need to find the shield to keep the Amazons from attacking us.”

“I know Queen Hylla,” Annabeth said. She decided that it was best to not mention that Reyna was Hylla's sister. The demititans could use the knowledge against them. “I would talk to her, but she isn't here. I might not be able to get in contact with her.”

“Who told you that the queen of the Amazons isn't here?” Alex questioned. She crossed her arms and looked confused. “Sarah reported that the queen of the Amazons is indeed her. In fact, she seemed to be organizing the Amazons for war.”

Annabeth's mind started racing. Vera had been against Hylla before, and she was a child of Mars. Was it possible she was working against Hylla again, or was Annabeth just being paranoid? Plans could have changed, and there was a chance Vera might not have known about it.

“I'm not sure,” Annabeth answered. “Either way, I should send an Iris message to her and try to convince her to meet with you. We can have it in a neutral location. I'm guessing we have an alliance.”

“Yes,” Alex said. “It is a thin one that can be snapped at any moment. I know that you understand that. Demititans and demigods are not meant to work together.”

“We'll be the first,” Annabeth said. She held out her hand towards Alex. After a moment, Alex shook it. “We'll talk more about this, when my friends bring the box back.”


	11. The Box

Piper pushed her wet hair out of her face. Rain was pouring relentlessly from the sky. Her jacket was completely soaked, which meant she was freezing. Piper did her best to adjust her backpack and look around. They could only see about ten feet in front of them.

Her mind drifted towards the group. She hoped that they were treating Annabeth well. Annabeth could more than handle herself, but the last thing they needed was more enemies. Piper just wanted to find the box, so they could be reunited with the daughter of Athena and make a plan.

“Why would they want Annabeth as a hostage?” Piper asked. In her mind, she would be the best hostage. Piper didn't have as much combat experience as Reyna or Annabeth, and she wasn't as tactically smart as the two of them. There was no way she could make a plan to break out of the group's base and then execute it. “If there was three of us, we would have a much easier time getting to the box.”

If the group had one reason to not take Piper hostage, it was her charmspeak. How did they know about it though? It wasn't something that a group unaffiliated with Camp Half-Blood should know. That worried Piper. If they knew about her charmspeak, what else did they know?

“They want to divide and conquer us,” Reyna answered. The daughter of Bellona was walking right next to Piper. It seemed like Reyna was trying to see through the rain, but she was having no luck. “If we failed to find the box or showed that we couldn't be trusted, they could easily take Annabeth out. We also wouldn't try to take the box for ourselves. It is a good strategy.”

“We're on the wrong side of it,” Piper commented. Her companion gave a slight nod. Piper looked around the street that they were on. No cars passed them on the road. They seemed to be in a quiet part of town, and it did nothing to settle Piper's disturbed feeling.

“If the box is so important and they know where it is, why would they send us?” Piper asked. “It seems safer for them to retrieve it, unless they know something we don't. Would they really send us into a dangerous place?”

“I don't know,” Reyna replied. She shivered slightly. “It could have just been a trap to separate us from Annabeth. They may even be using us as bait, or they are scared of whoever took the box. Either way, I don't like it.”

Piper nodded her agreement. After another minute of walking, she bit her lip. One question had been bothering her for awhile, but she didn't know how to ask it. She also didn't know how Reyna would react. Reyna was not someone who liked to shared personal information.

It took her a few more moments to work up the courage. She glanced at Reyna and opened her mouth. No words came out, so she rubbed her face. After rubbing her face, Piper looked up and spoke, “Why don't you like charmspeak?”

Once she started the sentence, it was easy to get the words out. Reyna stopped walking and looked at her. Piper, for a moment, regretted her question. Then, Reyna looked around and continued to walk. The daughter of Bellona didn't seem upset.

“Circe is the reason,” Reyna answered. She looked at Piper. There seemed to be much more to the story than Reyna was willing to share, and that was okay with Piper. “She did terrible things with it.”

Piper nodded. She knew it was best to not push the issue. After glancing around, Piper came to a sudden stop. The warehouse was to their right. The words on the wall were mostly faded, but a large picture of a dog holding a biscuit gave them the only clue they needed.

The two took a moment to examine the front of the warehouse. There seemed to be lights on inside, and one light was shining down on the entrance. By the entrance, there was two, black vans.

“Follow,” Reyna ordered. She ran towards an alley that was directly in front of them. Piper followed and winced at how loud their feet were hitting puddles. She hoped no one could hear it. The two made it towards an old ladder that was attached to a wall.

Reyna climbed the ladder with ease. The praetor seemed to hold no fear that the old ladder would break on them or that she would slip. Reyna pulled herself onto the top of the building and turned towards Piper. She turned and held a hand out. Piper grabbed her friend's hand and was pulled to the top with ease.

The two walked towards the edge of the building and crouched. They had a great view of the warehouse, but for a moment, all Piper could think of was the long fall to the ground. She forced herself to look back at the warehouse, which was in a state of despair. A large dog was painted on the side of it, but the painting was old and chipped. Two women stood outside the door.

“They're both masked,” Reyna noted. She gripped her dagger and wiped rain out of her eyes. “They're also wearing black. It's clear they don't want to be identified, and since this part of the town is abandoned, no one will see them.”

“Do we have a plan?” Piper asked. She caught the glint of a sword. Each women had one hanging from their side. Piper frowned and glanced at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona seemed deep in thought.

Reyna remained silent for a few moments. Her fingers tapped against the rooftop. After a few minutes, Reyna spoke, “There doesn't seem to be any other guards. We should knock those two out and move further inside. To do what, we're going to sneak around the sides of the building. You'll take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the right.”

Piper nodded. Something told her that this wasn't the first time that Reyna had done something like this. The two quickly climbed down the ladder and moved to the edge of the alley. Reyna looked at Piper and spoke, “I'm going to run around to the side. After you count to a minute, you are going to take out the guard.”

The only thing Piper could do was nod. This was not a situation that she had trained for. Piper followed Reyna to the nearest wall of the warehouse. If they peeked out, they could see the two women. Reyna gave Piper a small nod and ran along the wall going the opposite way. She turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.

After counting to a minute, Piper turned the corner of the warehouse. She saw Reyna grab one of the women and wrap an arm around their neck. The other women turned towards Reyna, but Piper tackled them from behind.

Piper wrapped her arm around the guard's throat and squeezed. The women started to move, and that caused Piper to tighten her grip. After a few moments, the women went limp. Reyna spoke, “Give it a few more seconds. She could be faking unconsciousness.”

Piper nodded and did as she was told. After a few moments, Reyna gave her a small nod. Piper let go of the woman and stood. A shaky breath left her. It took her a few moments to look at Reyna.

“We need to hide them,” Reyna whispered. She glanced around and picked up one of the unconscious women, and she did it with an ease that made Piper slightly jealous. Piper picked up the other woman and followed Reyna towards the alley. They laid the two women on top of a closed trash bin.

“Back to the warehouse,” Piper guessed. Reyna gave her a slight nod and looked around. The two walked towards the front entrance of the warehouse. Reyna grabbed the door and pushed it forward slightly. When no noise was made, she pushed it open the rest of the way.

The first thing they saw was a large amount of shelves. Shelves were scattered everywhere and had rotten boxes taking up every row. They wouldn't be able to see anyone, and nobody would be able to see them. The appearance of the cardboard boxes brought another thought to Piper's mind. What did the box that they were trying to find look like?

“We still don't know where they are,” a voice said. Piper glanced at Reyna, who had already dropped into a crouch. Piper followed her example. The two started creeping towards the voice. They stopped in front of a shelf, but neither dared to push a box aside and see the person talking.

“Try looking harder,” a second voice muttered. The annoyance in their voice was clear. A loud crash echoed throughout the warehouse. “Idiot! Do you know how valuable that box is?”

Piper glanced at Reyna. Her friend made a small motion to their left, and they started to creep towards it. Piper hoped that the two women had the box that they needed. As the two demigods reached the edge of the shelf, Piper peeked out.

One woman was picking up a box. She had a mask that covered her face, and her friend had one as well. The box that the woman was picking up was only two feet long and two feet wide. It was as black as the night. Piper glanced at Reyna.

“Attack?” Piper mouthed. She figured that they could easily take out the two woman. Reyna seemed to share the sentiment and nodded. The two stepped out of their hiding place. The woman holding the box turned towards them.

“You're trespassing,” the woman warned. She received a slap to the back of her head. Her friend unsheathed a sword and glared at the two of them. Piper grabbed her sword, while Reyna grabbed her dagger.

“They are with the idiots in the forest,” the woman that had unsheathed the sword snapped.. She glared at Reyna and attacked. The woman with the box attacked Piper. It wasn't hard for Piper to dodge, considering the woman was preoccupied with the box, which was tucked under one of her arms.

Piper caught an attack on her sword. She stepped back and attacked as well. The woman parried her and swung. Piper dodged. For the moment, the two seemed to be an even match. A glance towards Reyna showed that the praetor had disarmed her opponent and knocked her out with her own weapon. Reyna turned to help.

Before Piper could blink, she was tackled to the ground by Reyna. A knife flew over their heads and slammed into one of the rotten boxes. Reyna quickly stood and pulled Piper to her feet. They stood back to back.

“I'll get the box,” Reyna whispered. She still had the other woman's sword in her hand. “Can you deal with our friend in the shadows?”

Piper nodded her agreement. She laced her voice with charmspeak and spoke, “Come out from the shadows. We can talk this over. We do not have to fight.”

All Piper heard was the sound of Reyna fighting the woman. That caused a frown to come to Piper's face. If someone was hiding in the shadows, there was no way that they would be able to resist charmspeak, unless they could also use charmspeak. There wasn't many people who could do that though.

Reyna knocked out the woman that she was fighting. The box fell to the ground and skidded for a moment. Reyna walked towards it and went to grab it. A knife flew by her hand, grazing her skin. Piper heard a footstep behind her and quickly turned around. Another person stepped out of the shadows.

It seemed to be another woman. Somehow, this one was different than the others, but she was also wearing a mask. Reyna seemed to share Piper's thought. She spoke, “Who are you?”

Piper glanced at Reyna. The praetor was crouched by the box, and her hand was hovering near the knife. Reyna suddenly grabbed the knife and threw it at the woman. She stood and kicked the box towards Piper.

The only thing that Piper could do was scoop the box up. Since she was closer, she could see the gold, ancient writing that was carved into the border of the box. There was no way to make sense of what it said, but she could feel the power running through the box. It just felt evil.

Blades clashed, and Piper turned back towards the battle. She saw the woman twist the blade out of Reyna's hand. There was a look of surprise on Reyna's face, and she was kicked into a shelf.

The woman turned towards Piper. She walked forward and stepped over her unconscious friends like they didn't matter. Piper's only option was to grip the box and step backwards. Her other hand gripped her sword, and she attacked.

The woman caught the sword in her hand. Then, she tossed it behind her. Piper stared, and out of instinct, she threw the box away. As she did, the woman kicked her in the stomach. The force of the kick slammed Piper into the ground and caused her to slide backwards.

Reyna lunged for the box, but the woman simply kicked it away. The praetor knocked the woman's legs out from under her. Reyna then turned and ran for the box. Piper quickly got to her feet.

Piper expected the woman to attack Reyna's exposed back, so she slammed into the woman. Somehow, Piper found herself on the ground with her back aching. She was pulled to her feet, and her arm was twisted behind her. A dagger rested against her neck.

Reyna turned and glared at them. She seemed to consider her options, but when the woman motioned for the box, Reyna hesitated. After a long moment, the praetor kicked the box towards the woman. The dagger moved from Piper's neck.

Before Piper could take a deep breath, she heard the sound of something breaking. There was terrible pain in her arm a moment later. Piper stared as she realized her arm had been snapped like a twig. A strangled cry of pain escaped, and it took all of her willpower to keep from crying.

“Let her go!” Reyna snapped. She threw her knife, with all of her might. It slammed into the woman's shoulder, and it caused the woman to gasp in pain. Piper used the moment to pull from her captor's grasp and lunge towards Reyna.

Reyna gently grabbed Piper's shoulder to steady her, and the praetor handed Piper a whistle. Through her pain, Piper realized that it was the whistle that Percy had given to Reyna on the day of her seventeenth birthday. The whistle would summon Guido.

“Go,” Reyna ordered. She stood in between Piper and the woman. At the moment, the woman seemed content to just watch them. There was no way Piper would leave Reyna. They had to work together. “Piper, take my duffel bag and go. Trust me.”

Everything in Piper wanted her to stay with Reyna, but she knew that she wouldn't be much help. A broken arm would only hinder them, and if Piper stayed, she would only distract Reyna. After a moment, the daughter of Aphrodite grabbed the duffel bag. She took a deep step backwards.

Piper almost walked forward again and stayed. She finally closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Reyna was a daughter of Bellona, and she could handle herself. Piper needed to get back to the group, and she could get reinforcements while she was there. Piper turned and hurried away.


	12. The First Betrayal

Against her will, Reyna looked back, to watch Piper run away. Their only objective was getting the box back to safety. Reyna finally forced herself to focus back on the present. The woman in front of her twisted the dagger out of her shoulder and threw it behind her. She seemed completely unaffected by wound.

“Who are you working for?” Reyna questioned. She knew that she wouldn't get an answer, but she was hoping to buy some time. Half of winning a battle was knowing the opponent. Reyna knew nothing about the woman, other than the fact that she wasn't stopped by a shoulder wound or Piper's charmspeak.

The woman grabbed the two swords from the ground. She held one sword in her right hand, and her grip was strong. There was no doubt the woman had trained extensively with weapons. The sword in her left hand was held loosely, and the woman tossed it towards Reyna.

Reyna caught the sword in surprise. While she appreciated a fair fight, it was odd that the woman was so willing to commit to one. Was the woman that confident, or was she that good? Reyna slowly stepped to the side. The woman did as well. The two circled each other, looking for an opening and trying to get a feel for each other.

Reyna knew the fight wouldn't be easy. She had already been disarmed once, and that was partially her fault. After taking the other women down so easily, Reyna had grown complacent. That wouldn't happen again. She took another step to the side.

The woman closed the gap in between them in half of a second. She swung wildly, and Reyna caught the attack on her sword. For a moment, their swords were crossed, and it became a test of pure strength. Reyna planted her feet and missed having a shield in her left hand. It would have allowed her to completely avoid the test of strength.

For a few moments, the two were equally matched. Reyna considered her next move but was suddenly pushed away. The woman did it almost effortlessly. Before Reyna could catch her balance, a foot slammed into her chest.

Reyna hit the ground hard and gasped for breath. The kick had knocked the breath out of her. Considering that Reyna was wearing armor, there was no way that anyone's kick would be strong enough to do that. Instincts kicked in, and the praetor rolled to the side. A sword slammed into the ground next to her.

Reyna jumped to her feet and swung her sword. The woman simply caught it on her own sword and followed it up with her own attack. Reyna blocked it and tried to twist the sword out of the woman's hand. Her opponent quickly danced away.

For the next few minutes, it was a battle of attacks and counterattacks. Reyna and the woman were evenly matched. Despite the fact that they had met only a few minutes ago, the two fought like they had known each other for years.

Out of frustration, Reyna stepped back and wiped sweat from her eyes. It was freezing outside. In the warehouse, it was hot and stuffy, and it had been a long time since she had been in such an intensive battle. The woman didn't even look tired, which angered Reyna. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

The woman stabbed forward. Reyna blocked it and stepped to side of her opponent. She swung her sword. The woman swung her own sword with a lot more strength than Reyna expected. Their swords met and shattered.

A knife flew by Reyna's face. She dodged and threw her own dagger. The woman ducked right under the dagger and tackled Reyna into a shelf. Their combined weight caused the shelf to fall over.

Reyna punched the woman in the face. At the moment, she was pinned to the shelf, and that wasn't a position she could be in. Reyna grabbed at the woman's mask. An elbow slammed into her face.

Reyna slammed a fist into the woman's throat. She threw the woman backwards and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes darted around for a weapon. When there wasn't one to be found, Reyna realized it was time to do things the hard way.

The woman was already back on her feet. She motioned for Reyna to attack. Reyna rubbed her sore jaw and studied her opponent. All she needed was a few moments to take a deep breath and think. She finally threw a punch at the woman.

The woman dodged and returned with a lightning quick strike. Reyna tried to move backwards, but part of the punch caught her on the jaw and caused her to stumble. It stunned her enough that she didn't have enough time to block a kick. As the woman's kick hit her in the right side, there was the sound of a small crack.

Reyna stumbled back and threw an off balanced punch. Her reward was another kick to the right side. Reyna stepped away and gasped for breath. She was skilled in hand to hand combat, but this woman just seemed to be better than her.

A third kick knocked Reyna to the ground. She scrambled backwards and placed a hand to her side. Even though she was wearing armor, it felt like one or two ribs were broken. It didn't make sense. No one could have a kick that was that strong enough to break through armor.

The woman aimed a kick at Reyna's head. Reyna caught the kick with her arm and shoved the woman back. Another punch was thrown, but the praetor caught it and threw the woman over her shoulder.

The effort caused more pain than Reyna was expecting. She gasped for breath and couldn't follow up on her advantage. A foot suddenly slammed into the middle of her rib cage. She fell to the ground and wheezed for breath. It was followed by coughing. The woman's foot slammed into the middle of her rib cage once again.

Reyna felt the dented armor angrily. She tried to roll onto her side, but another kick caught her right in the ribs. The kick caused Reyna to stop what she was doing. Once again, the breath was knocked out of her. She forced herself to scramble backwards.

All she needed was a moment to think. Every kick was aimed at her ribs, and that was a move meant to cripple Reyna. The woman didn't seem to want to kill her. Instead, it seemed like the woman wanted to disable Reyna, but why?

Reyna turned her head to the right and saw her dagger. The only hard part would be to get to it. Reyna growled in pain and dove for the dagger. Her hand wrapped around it, and she turned towards the woman.

A kick was barely blocked, and Reyna stabbed forward with the dagger. The woman caught the dagger in her hand, so Reyna punched her in the face. The praetor slammed the woman to the ground and punched her in the face once again. She gasped from the sharp pain in her ribs, but it didn't stop her from stabbing the dagger downwards.

The woman caught the dagger an inch from her chest. Reyna pushed down but didn't seem to make any progress. Her aching ribs definitely impeded the effort. A fist suddenly slammed into her face, and she was shoved off of the woman. Before Reyna could roll onto her stomach and stand, she was kicked in the ribs.

Reyna collapsed on her side and wheezed for breath. She hadn't felt the pain of broken ribs for a long time, and it was not something she wanted to relive. The woman grabbed her by her neck and picked her up. Reyna gasped as the grip tightened, and it became impossible to breath.

It took a moment for Reyna to react. She desperately grabbed at the woman's mask. After a moment, she managed to grab it. When Reyna tore the mask off, her heart stopped.

“Sister, you are out of practice,” Hylla chided. Her grip didn't loosen. In fact, it seemed to tighten. Reyna stared at her sister for a very long moment, as the rest of the world faded away. There was no way that her sister would attack her.

“Hylla, what are you doing?” Reyna wheezed. She started to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen. Hylla studied her for a moment. There was no emotion on her face.

“I'm saving you from your fate,” Hylla answered. She tightened her grip. Reyna gasped and clawed at her sister's hand. She knew that she only had a few moments, before she passed out. “Your ribs will keep you out of action until the end of the deadline, even with nectar and ambrosia. Rest and heal. Don't bother with the shield.”

Hylla let go of Reyna. The youngest of daughter of Bellona collapsed to the ground and wheezed for breath. She closed her eyes painfully. Hylla was her older sister. There was no reason that Hylla would hurt her, yet Hylla had just broken at least two ribs.

“You won't remember this when you wake up,” Hylla promised. She took a step back and seemed to aim a kick. Reyna knew it would be directed right at her temple. There was no doubt in her mind that Hylla wanted to concuss her. A concussion would most likely cause memory loss, so Reyna wouldn't remember who had attacked her. No one would allow her to go anywhere as well.

As Hylla brought her foot forward, Reyna rolled to her side. She jumped to her feet and punched her sister in the jaw. The jump alone caused Reyna to stop moving. A fist slammed into her mouth, and that was followed by an uppercut.

Reyna hit the ground hard, and Hylla wasted no time in kicking her in face. The world dissolved into pain for a few moments. Reyna groaned and saw her sister kneel next to her. A hand grabbed her jacket and pulled her closer.

“Stop fighting,” Hylla ordered. She tightened her grip and studied her sister. Reyna spat blood in her sister's face. Anger was the only thing she could think about. Her older sister, the one person who was suppose to be on her side no matter what, had attacked her. “You need to forget about this mission.”

“Why?” Reyna questioned. Her sister let go of her jacket, and Reyna groaned as she was dropped back to the ground. It hurt to breath, and her head was definitely aching. Reyna turned on her side and reached a hand out for her fallen dagger. Her sister stepped on her hand.

“You were always so stubborn,” Hylla said sadly. She used her foot to roll Reyna onto her back. “I just want you to relax and heal up. Don't be a good Roman. Forget about this mission, understood?”

“I'm going to stop you,” Reyna promised. She looked up at her sister. Hylla looked away and sighed sadly. She finally looked back down. Reyna stared into Hylla's eyes, and the last thing she felt was her sister's foot slamming into her temple.


	13. The Dream

Annabeth couldn't quell the worry in her chest. She swallowed painfully and looked around the meeting room that they were in. There was a large table in the middle of the room. On one side of the table, there was four chairs, for each of the four leaders. Various chairs were scattered throughout the rest of the room.

Three of the demititan leaders were sitting across from Annabeth. The fourth was kneeling by Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite sat on Annabeth's left. Oliver was kneeling next to Piper. He gently examined her arm.

“This interrogation shouldn't be necessary,” Oliver argued. He turned towards Alex. “Piper is injured, and we don't know what happened at the warehouse. We should send you or Sarah to find Reyna and then go from there. I should be tending to Piper.”

“No,” Alex said. She crossed her arms. “Since we don't know what happened at the warehouse, we must exercise caution. Until we do, the praetor will just have to fend for herself, and these two might not even make it out of this room alive. How do we know they didn't just take the box for themselves?”

“We didn't,” Piper interrupted. She explained what had happened at the warehouse. Annabeth listened silently, and it wasn't hard to miss the regret in Piper's voice. There was no doubt that Piper didn't want to leave Reyna behind, and Annabeth couldn't blame her.

It had only been ten minutes since Piper had stumbled into the demititan base. Annabeth's first reaction was to get Piper some nectar and ambrosia, but when she reached into her pocket, Alex instantly placed a dagger to her throat.

Piper's pain was clear, but she was holding strong. Her duffel bag was laying near Reyna's. When Piper finished her story, she looked at Alex. Her look almost dared Alex to question her story. In response, the demititan leaned back in her seat.

“If the praetor was confident she could take out her attacker, why would she send you away?” Alex asked. Thorn suddenly stood. The room fell silent as his chair slammed into the ground, and he turned on Alex.

“If you had an ounce of human emotion, you would understand that Reyna was concerned for her friend. She sent Piper away to get her out of danger and report what had happened, before you could kill Annabeth,” Thorn said. His voice was barely above a whisper, and he sounded ready to yell.

“We should send someone to find Reyna. We can make sure that she is safe,” Sarah said. After a glance to her left, she seemed to rethink her response. “It will also allow us to make sure that the box is safe, and we can have it back in our hands.”

“I'm going to find Reyna, and no one is going to tell me different,” Thorn said. Alex looked up at him. The two seemed to have a silent argument that ended with Alex standing. Thorn was at least a foot taller, but it didn't seem to matter.

“We don't know who is at the warehouse. They were able to ambush us, and one of them took two skilled demigods on. There is no way you are going,” Alex argued. Thorn stepped closer, and Alex took a step back into the table.

“You are suspicious about every little thing in this world. You won't even tell the demigods who your father is, even though you claim to want to work with them. I am sick and tired of you thinking you control us. I am going to the warehouse, understood?” Thorn questioned. He grabbed Alex's wrist.

Annabeth watched the demititans. She found the cracks that she could exploit, but she also saw cracks that could lead to their downfall. There was a clear divide between Alex and Thorn. Annabeth worried it would come to a head while they were trying to find the shield.

“I am going to take care of Piper,” Oliver interrupted. He helped Piper stand. Piper's face paled even more, and she slowly looked at Annabeth. There was no hesitation for Annabeth. She scooped up the duffel bags and helped her friend walk out of the room.

“There is nectar and ambrosia in our bag.” Annabeth said. She walked down the long hallway with Oliver and Piper. Someone followed behind them. Annabeth was worried there would be a confrontation. Instead, Sarah appeared and held out a small bag.

“Here,” Sarah offered. She opened the bag and handed the ambrosia to Piper. “This is not how I want our alliance to go. I'm sorry about Alex. She is suspicious of anything related to the Olympians. Do you think that your friend can fend for herself?”

“She can handle herself,” Annabeth promised. That didn't stop the bad feeling in her gut. She hesitated to voice it, but something told her to. “I am worried though. The person who attacked her doesn't seem like your typical demigod.”

“Thorn will get to the warehouse soon,” Sarah promised. After a moment, she reached a hand up and pulled back her hood. Annabeth was surprised to see that Sarah had dirty blonde hair and bright, blue eyes. The demititan gave her a bright smile. “Children of Lelantos take after their mothers.”

“Is it part of blending in?” Annabeth questioned. She received a nod. The rest of their walk was in silence. They stopped at a room that had the word infirmary above it. Oliver pushed the door open and helped Piper inside.

Sarah grabbed Annabeth's arm and spoke,” I really am sorry about Alex. She's a good person, but her life has been hard. There has been some things that had shaped her, for the worst. Alex just needs time to trust you.”

“I can understand that, but time is something we don't have,” Annabeth said. She met Sarah's eyes. The demititan watched her silently. There was something intelligent in her eyes. Sarah understood their situation, but it was like she didn't want them to know that. “We have less than a week to figure this out. Trust has to happen.”

“I know,” Sarah whispered. She cleared her throat and held a hand out. “I'll take the duffel bags to your room. You should stay with Piper. Can you keep me updated on her condition?”

“I will. Thank you,” Annabeth said. She held out the duffel bags. Sarah took them and walked away. Annabeth heard a cry of pain, and it only took one second to enter the infirmary. Oliver looked like he had just finished setting Piper's arm.

“I can't heal,” Oliver said apologetically. He looked at Annabeth and swallowed painfully. Annabeth gave him a small nod to show that it was okay. Piper looked like her pain was quickly fading, and that was all that mattered.

“Thank you,” Piper said to Oliver. She closed her eyes and took the ambrosia that had Sarah had given her. Relief washed over Piper's face. Annabeth glanced at Oliver. Prying eyes studied her face.

“You're sleep deprived,” Oliver stated. “You probably haven't slept since starting this quest, and I'm willing to bet that you don't plan on sleeping anytime soon. This quest has you stressed out too much.”

Two things ran through Annabeth's head. The first was how differently Oliver acted around people and patients. Around people, he looked like he wanted to be out of sight as soon as possible. With patients, he would yell at whoever he needed to in order to get the job done.

The second was that Oliver had hit the nail on the head. The daughter of Athena had not slept once since she left the camp. The nightmares were too much to handle. When Reyna had been unconscious for a day, Annabeth had taken a majority of the watches while Piper slept. She had pretended to be asleep when it was Piper's turn to take the watch.

“I need to stay awake, so Reyna will know I'm safe,” Annabeth argued. Oliver gave her a look and raised his eyebrows. It was clear that he did not believe her. He crossed his arms. Annabeth refused to budge.

“We will let Reyna know that you are safe,” Oliver said. “You and Piper both need to rest. It won't do any good if you two are exhausted. Thorn can keep Alex in line, so the world doesn't burn down while you two are asleep.”

Annabeth was stubborn, but she knew that she wouldn't win the argument. She finally nodded and led Piper to the room the demititans had given them. Piper seemed to be relaxing, but she looked tired as well. Annabeth knew that the two of them needed sleep.

“How do you feel?” Annabeth questioned. She glanced around. For most of her time there, she had not seen another demititan. Where were they?

“Terrible,” Piper answered. “It's not just my arm. I shouldn't have left Reyna all alone. What if something happens to her? That woman took us on easily.”

“There was nothing you could have done,” Annabeth promised. They made it to their room, and she held open the door. The duffel bags were laying on the ground near their beds. Annabeth felt a flash of worry as she saw the third bed. “Reyna didn't want you to risk further injury.”

Piper finally nodded. She laid on a bed and closed her eyes. Annabeth laid on the bed closest to her friend and stared at the ceiling. Her worry and anxiety was threatening to boil over. Despite that, as soon as she closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

* * *

_Annabeth's dream started out in a room that was covered by maps. The maps belonged to nations of the world, young and old. One map rested on a table, and two figures stood over it. The first was Annabeth's mother._

_To Annabeth's surprise, her mother was wearing a full set of Greek battle armor. It was polished perfectly and immaculate. Athena's grey eyes were troubled. She lowered a hand and placed a finger onto the map. Athena spoke, “They are here.”_

_The second figure stepped out of the shadows and studied the map silently. Her black eyes held no emotion, and they seemed to be darker than her hair. It looked like she was born to wear Roman armor. There was no mistaking who the goddess was: Bellona._

_Annabeth slowly looked down at the map. She found five locations marked with a drachma. One of the locations was definitely Camp Half-Blood, and the other one seemed to be Camp Jupiter. It took Annabeth a moment to identify the location of the demititan camp. She had no clue what the other two were._

_“They have not found the most important piece,” Bellona said. Her voice radiated power. If Annabeth closed her eyes, she could almost imagine Reyna speaking, if not for the fact that Bellona spoke more slowly and deliberate._

_“Our children will find it,” Athena promised. She moved her hand towards on of the unknown locations. Annabeth did her best to study the map. It was on of the United States, and the drachma rested on Arizona. Athena moved it to Utah. “Were your daughter and the child of Aphrodite successful in retrieving the piece that belonged to the demititans?”_

_“Yes,” Bellona answered. For a moment, pain showed in her eyes. The goddess sighed deeply and looked down at the map. It was clear she wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it. “Will it be necessary to use this weapon? If we use it and prove to be wrong, the consequences could be disastrous.”_

_Annabeth felt hope blossom in her chest. Reyna had defeated her attacker and was on the way to the demititan base. They could then work on finding the shield. That was the only thing that mattered._

_“Even though I hope we are wrong, I doubt that we are,” Athena said. Her fingers ran over the map before resting on her other arm. “Your daughter has a very difficult task ahead of her, even if she fails here.”_

_“Reyna is up to the task,” Bellona promised. She grabbed the drachma from Camp Jupiter and squeezed it in her hand. When she opened her hand, the drachma was crushed to dust. Bellona allowed it to trickle through her fingers and fall to the map._

_Bellona closed her eyes and moved her hand to her belt, which held two swords. She hooked one and placed it on the table. Bellona opened her eyes and stared down at the sword. The Roman goddess of war spoke, “Mercury will deliver this?”_

_“He will,” Athena replied. She eyed the sword and seemed to shudder. Bellona stared down at the sword. With the way that she looked and how she spoke, it seemed like Mercy wasn't delivering a sword. He was delivering a death sentence._

_Athena sighed and contemplated the map. Her eyes made it seem like a piece of the puzzle was missing. Athena spoke, “I hope that the faith in your daughter is not misplaced. And, what of the vial? Does Reyna still have it?”_

_“I believe so,” Bellona answered. She placed a finger to New York. “We must talk sense into Mars. He will divide Olympus and the camps, at the time that they must be unified. For now, the two of us must work together.”_

_“We will,” Athena said. She turned her head and met Annabeth's eyes. It was like the goddess knew that Annabeth was watching them and wanted to give her a message. “Did Artemis take the news well?”_

_“Diana is as distraught as one would expect,” Bellona replied. “She does not want to believe it, and who could blame her? She will come around though. We both can agree on that.”_

_“We can,” Athena agreed. She turned and looked at Bellona. Their eyes met for a long moment. “And, what of you? How are you handling your own news?”_

_Bellona remained silent for a moment. She looked at the map and glared at it. For a moment, there was a terrifying look of vengeance and anger in Bellona's eyes. It shook Annabeth to the core. The goddess of war finally looked up._

_“Hylla chose her path, when she attacked Reyna. All I can do now is watch what happens,” Bellona answered. Annabeth stared at the goddesses. Before she could fully process the information, the scene in front of her changed._

_Annabeth looked around and found herself standing in the middle of a tent. The first thing she saw was a map resting on the table. It was a map of Manhattan. Annabeth frowned as she recognized the points of the map that were circled. It was the defensive positions that her and her friends had taken up, when they were fighting Kronos._

_Annabeth turned, and it felt like the breath was punched out of her. She blinked tears away and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. A deep breath and digging her nails into her hand allowed her to focus. Luke turned to look at her._

_It wasn't truly Luke, but that didn't make it hurt any less. It was Kronos inside of his body, and for a few moments, Annabeth was reliving losing Luke. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. It was hard to keep control of her boiling emotions._

_“Prometheus,” Kronos said. He smiled, and Annabeth turned away. She couldn't stand to look at his face anymore. Annabeth focused on Prometheus as he stepped further into the tent. Prometheus bowed and took his time straightening up._

_“The box was delivered to Percy Jackson, as you requested,” Prometheus reported. “As you predicted, he did not budge. I believe that he will, given time.”_

_“He will,” Kronos promised. Annabeth could just hear the cruel smile that was on his face. She looked back to see it and regretted the emotions that hit her like a wave. Kronos moved his hand to the side as if showing something off. “We have more important matters to attend to; you have a guest.”_

_Annabeth looked at someone wearing a full set of armor: a full set of demititan armor. Upon Prometheus looking at them, they pulled off their helmet. Annabeth stared at Alex. The demititan had a cold expression on her face._

_“Father,” Alex said. She looked at Prometheus and bowed her head to him. There was a surprised look on Prometheus' face, for a half of a second. It quickly disappeared, and Annabeth didn't think that Kronos noticed._

_Upon looked back at Alex, Annabeth reprimanded herself. She should have made the connection with the gray eyes. Prometheus cleared his throat and spoke, “Alex, what are you doing here?”_

_“You're fighting a war,” Alex said. She held up her own helmet. “And, you didn't invite me. We can crush these stupid camps where they stand. They don't even know about each other! We can turn them against each other.”_

_“Your daughter could be very useful,” Kronos commented. “I can see lack of mercy that she has. There is a ruthlessness in her eyes. If she knows her place, we can use her to her fullest extent.”_

_“Alex should be with her friend, not in a war,” Prometheus said. He walked towards Alex and gently grabbed her arm. Prometheus practically dragged his daughter to the entrance of tent._

_“Friends?” Kronos questioned. He stood from his throne and walked towards them. Prometheus seemed to swallow a painful lump in his throat. Kronos stopped in front of him. “What friends?”_

_“My lord, may I speak to my daughter, alone?” Prometheus questioned. Kronos studied them for a long moment. He finally turned and walked back towards his throne. After sitting on it, Kronos watched them._

_“It's my tent,” Kronos said. He motioned for them to leave. Prometheus grabbed Alex and dragged her out of the tent. He dragged her through a crowd of monsters, who all turned to look at her. They didn't stop till they were at the edge of the camp._

_“Why didn't you tell me about this?” Alex demanded. She pulled away from her father and rubbed her shoulder. Alex glared at her father but was also looking around the city block. Her eyes widened from all the destruction._

_“I didn't want any of you to get involved,” Prometheus answered. “Kronos does not know about the demititans as a group. He believes that they are all simply scattered in the wind. The rest of the Titans agreed to keep your existence a secret, for your own safety. If Kronos knew about you, he would force you to fight against the demigods. You would bolster the front lines, at no loss to him._

_“I will happily fight for Kronos,” Alex said. She turned back towards the camp. “I can easily get the other demititans to agree. Sarah is smitten with me and will do whatever I say. Thorn is new to leadership, and that makes him easy to manipulate. Cameron is getting sicker by the day.”_

_“No,” Prometheus interrupted. He grabbed Alex's shoulder. There was an intense look in his eyes. “You must quell your thirst for vengeance. Stop blaming your mother's death on the Olympians.”_

_“Mother died because of Zeus. He has to pay,” Alex snapped. Prometheus tightened his grip on Alex's shoulder. “You know I'm right, father.”_

_“You must put those thoughts aside,” Prometheus repeated. “Go back to the demititans and prepare. A storm is coming that you may not be ready for. Do you trust me?”_

_“I trust you,” Alex said, after a long moment. She sighed and put her helmet on. Prometheus let go of her, and he watched her walk away. The Titan turned and looked directly at Annabeth. He gave her a nod, and Annabeth knew his unspoken words: the storm had arrived._


	14. The Plan

Ever since Tartarus, Annabeth lived on the edge. A wrong movement could set her off, and she had been struggling to keep it under control. It was easier when she was awake, but when someone grabbed her shoulder while she sleeping, she lashed out with a kick.

Someone grunted from the kick, and Annabeth kicked their legs out from under them. She pinned the person a moment later and forced her dagger against their throat. It took her a moment to hear the person's pained breathing. Annabeth's eyes took a few moments to adjust to the darkness.

“Annabeth, it's me,” Reyna wheezed. The pain was clear in her voice, and she was wheezing miserably. It only took Annabeth one second to stand. She turned on the light and turned back towards Reyna.

The daughter of Bellona curled up on her side. Annabeth couldn't tell if it was from the pain in her chest or if it was a tactic to avoid the bright light. One of Reyna's hands gripped her purple shirt, as if she could transfer the pain to it. Her other hand slipped into the pocket of beige shorts that definitely didn't belong to her.

“I'm so sorry,” Annabeth began. She gently pulled Reyna to her feet and sat her down on the bed. Reyna painfully laid back and placed a hand to her ribs. Her eyes closed tightly, but there was no sign of anger on her face, just pain. “I was sleeping and freaked out. I didn't mean to kick you.”

“You have a strong kick,” Reyna commented. The pain was gone from her voice. Annabeth offered her hand, but when Reyna didn't take it, all Annabeth could do was sit by her. They were both silent for a few moments. The daughter of Athena listened to her friend's wheezing as it slowly turned to normal breathing.

Annabeth bit her lip. She glanced down at her friend. How was she suppose to tell Reyna about what had happened in her dream? Would Reyna even believe her? If there was one thing the praetor would never believe, it was that family would betray her.

“Hylla attacked me,” Reyna said. Annabeth turned to look at her. There was no emotion on Reyna's face, but her voice gave away all of her pain and heartbreak. The daughter of Bellona took a shaky and pained breath.

“What happened?” Annabeth asked quietly. She didn't know whether to comfort her friend or just remain silent. Reyna laid her head back and closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at Annabeth.

“The fight was even for awhile. Hylla managed to get enough kicks in that she broke my ribs. After that, she was pretty much in control. She tried to concuss me, so I wouldn't remember the fight and the fact that my own flesh and blood betrayed me. Obviously, it didn't work.”

Annabeth stood and offered her hand. It took Reyna a moment to grab her hand. Annabeth slowly pulled her friend to her feet. Reyna visibly bit her tongue to keep from crying out. It only took her a moment to collapse onto the nearest bed. Standing was clearly not in the cards for the daughter of Bellona.

“How long have you had PTSD?” Reyna asked. Annabeth turned to stare at her friend. The praetor looked like she had gotten zero sleep and had spent plenty of time brooding. Her eyes showed all of the anger and pain that her face hid.

“I don't,” Annabeth began. Sure, there had been horrible moments in her life, but she didn't have PTSD. Reyna looked at her. It was clear that she didn't believe Annabeth.

“A lot of people suffer from PTSD. It's not something to be ashamed about, and it helps to talk about it. Trust me on that one,” Reyna said. She slowly moved and made room for Annabeth. The daughter of Athena slowly sat down.

“I know I should talk about it, but it just freaks me out,” Annabeth mumbled. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged her knees tightly. Reyna watched her for a few moments. The two met eyes.

“I kept in my own demons for years,” Reyna began. She took a deep breath and winced. “When the pirates took Hylla and I, they wanted to make sure that we knew they were in charge. They had me whipped in front of the other attendants, and my sister.”

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise. She knew that the pirates had wanted revenge, but she didn't think they would have been that cruel. Reyna slowly sat up and turned her back to Annabeth. The daughter of Bellona slowly lifted her shirt.

Annabeth stared at the scars on Reyna's back. The scars had faded after years of healing, but it wasn't hard to imagine what they had been like before. Regret ran through her. If they hadn't freed the pirates, Reyna would never have been used as a message.

“I'm sorry,” Annabeth said. Reyna pulled her shirt down and looked at the daughter of Athena. There wasn't much emotion on Reyna's face, and she didn't look upset. That didn't stop the guilt from spreading in Annabeth's chest. “If I had known they would have done that, I would have found a different way to free Percy.”

“I've kept this hidden for years. Whenever anyone asked me, I would lie and say I was attacked by a monster. The only person I really talked to was Nico. When I told him, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off of my chest. After you begin to tell someone, it gets easier,” Reyna said.

“Later,” Annabeth promised. She took a deep breath and tried to think about Tartarus. Panic started to fill her chest. Annabeth quickly looked at the wall and started to run through the names of her favorite architectures. It managed to slowly calm her down. “I don't think I'm ready to talk about it now.”

“You take as long as you need,” Reyna said. She slowly laid back down and exhaled painfully. Annabeth leaned against the wall and examined the bare room. There was nothing besides their bags and the three beds. For a few minutes, the two stayed in comfortable silence.

“How long was I asleep?” Annabeth questioned. She felt rested, even if she was on edge. It was easier to turn her mind back to the quest and focus all of her energy on that. Anything was better than those dark thoughts. Annabeth quickly looked at Reyna and tried to focus on her friend's face.

“I'm not sure,” Reyna replied. She shifted and groaned. “All I know is that we have three days left in our deadline. I also know that Hylla has to be involved in the shield, which would mean the Amazons are also involved. That's why she attacked me.”

“How are you handling what Hylla did?” Annabeth asked. Reyna looked at her. The answer was written clearly on her face: Reyna was heartbroken. It was clear she didn't understand why her sister would attack her.

“Hylla said she was saving me from my fate, but that doesn't make any sense,” Reyna said. “We all know that you only get closer to fate the more you try to avoid it. I think she was just trying to justify her actions to herself.”

“Where do we go from here?” Annabeth wondered. She thought it was best to change the subject and get Reyna's mind off of her older sister. Reyna laid her head back and seemed to be thinking. Before she could respond, the door opened.

Annabeth turned towards the door. She smiled as she saw Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite smiled at them and adjusted her sling. It didn't look like she was in any pain, which was a good thing. Piper looked at Reyna and smiled.

“The demititans want us for breakfast and a discussion,” Piper said. Annabeth nodded and stood. She held a hand out to Reyna. The daughter of Bellona grabbed her hand, and Annabeth gently pulled her friend to her feet. Pain appeared on Reyna's face.

“Are you sure you want to go to the meeting?” Annabeth asked. Reyna looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Annabeth nodded and knew she shouldn't have asked a question like that. The three left the room and started to walk down the hallway.

As they walked, Reyna told them about her fight with Hylla. It was clear that Reyna didn't remember all the details of the fight and seemed to have some memory loss. When Reyna finished her story, Annabeth told them everything she knew about the demititans. When her story was finished, they had made it to a cafeteria.

Piper led them into the large room. Annabeth looked around the cafeteria. A few demititans were sitting at tables and eating. As soon as the demititans saw the demigods, they stopped eating and started studying them. Annabeth didn't show any emotion on her face. She knew the demititans were sizing them up, but it didn't take long for them to return to eating.

The four demititan leaders sat at a table in the corner of the room. Sarah had earbuds in and was using her utensils as drumsticks. Alex sat next to her and was silently drawing into a notebook. Thorn and Oliver were both eating food. There was three untouched plates that Annabeth assumed was set out for them.

“I believe I owe you a thanks,” Reyna said, as she looked at Thorn. The demititan looked at her and nodded. He motioned for all of them to sit. There was two demititans on each side of the table, and it looked like an attempt to be friendly and act like they weren't divided.

Annabeth and Piper sat next to Oliver and Thorn. The two demititans had stopped eating and were watching them in interest. Reyna examined Alex and slowly sat next to her. The only sign of pain on Reyna's face was her lip twitching slightly.

“You should eat. We promise it's not poisonous,” Sarah said. Annabeth slowly grabbed a plate and ate a few bites. She wasn't really in a mood to eat, but it seemed best to appease the demititans. It was also a good thing that the food tasted pretty good.

“We have much to talk about,” Alex began. She examined each of the demigods carefully. Her gaze focused on Reyna for the longest time. Reyna returned the gaze and almost seemed to be challenging Alex. “We want to discuss the box, and we want to find the location of the shield.”

“What are you going to about the box?” Piper asked. She was awkwardly trying to cut her pancakes using only a fork. There was determination on her face, which made Annabeth a little nervous to offer help. “It must have been really important, if you sent Reyna and I to find it.”

“At the moment, the box is a secondary priority,” Thorn replied. He finished his plate and pushed it away. “It is unfortunate that we were unable to get the box back, but hopefully, the Amazons won't be able to open it.”

“It doesn't matter if the Amazons can already open it or not,” Reyna interrupted. “When my sister was distracted, I opened the box and slipped the contents into my duffel bag. That's why I had Piper take my duffel bag and come back here.”

“Wait. You, a Roman demigod, opened the box?” Alex asked incredulously. She looked at Reyna with a new look. After a moment, the daughter of Bellona nodded. Alex sighed and rubbed her face. “This just got a lot more complicated.”

“What is so important about this box?” Annabeth questioned. She studied Alex. “We held up our end of the bargain and brought back what was in the box. I believe we have earned a little bit of trust and a lot of explanations.”

“Reyna, are you the only one who touched the box?” Alex questioned. She leaned forward and studied Reyna in even more interest. When the daughter of Bellona nodded, Alex almost seemed to glare. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes,” Reyna said. One hand moved to touch the vial on her necklace. Annabeth had almost forgotten that it existed. Sarah's eyes focused on the necklace.

“Rhea is a lot more involved than we thought,” Sarah commented. She winced as Alex seemed to elbow her. Alex turned her head towards Sarah, but Annabeth could just feel the scathing look that was being given.

“If we are going to find the shield, we must trust each other,” Piper said. Reyna looked at all of them and nodded. She shared her story of how Rhea had saved her from the drakon and the conversation that the two shared afterwards.

“She called you the one,” Thorn commented. He nodded. “That is a pretty big title. You should wear it proudly and carefully. It is odd that a Titan would mark a demigod like that, even if the Titan is Rhea.”

“Does anyone have any idea what Rhea was talking about, or was she just doing that stupid things that all the immortals love to do? Why can't they ever just give us a straight answer?” Sarah wondered. Annabeth wondered the same thing.

“My mother, Athena, told me that the shield was being used as a distraction,” Annabeth added. Her eyes focused ahead. “I wish we could learn what the thief wanted us to be distracted from, but Ares won't allow us to do that. It's logical to assume that since Hylla wanted the box, she is involved with the shield.”

“We don't have any proof though,” Reyna muttered. She clenched her plastic fork, and it started to bend. The anger showed on her face for a few moments, but her eyes were cold. Reyna dropped the fork and sighed. “A divine had to be involved in the theft, and Hylla has only one divine she answers to.”

“Your mother can't be involved,” Piper said. Reyna slowly looked at them. Her face did nothing to make Annabeth feel better. Piper glanced at Annabeth, and a silence filled the large room. It was clear the other demititans were listening in. “Would Bellona be involved?”

“With my mother, there is no telling,” Reyna said. She leaned back. “Mars said he was having trouble with my mother. I don't think my mother would stoop to the level of taking his shield to anger him, but she would steal it if it distracted us and gave her an advantage.”

“Bellona has no reason to steal the shield,” Annabeth interrupted. “My mother and her were talking in one of my dreams, and it seemed like they were on good terms. Athena would not work with Bellona, if Bellona had stolen the shield. Besides, deception is not her strong suit. She would just stab Ares and get it over with.”

The words seemed to strike a chord with Reyna. She nodded and looked back down at her food. Only a few, small bites had been taken. Her fork was now completely bent on the plate. Reyna looked around the table, and a heavy silence started to settle.

“If I can make a suggestion, we should strike the source,” Oliver began. Everyone looked at him, and he shifted awkwardly. “We know that the Amazons have been scouring this area, and we now know that they have rented a hotel not far from here. If we can get inside, there is a chance we can find information about the shield.”

“If the Amazons see a demititan, they would kill us on sight. There's no way we can go near that hotel,” Alex argued. She seemed to think for a moment. Alex looked at the three demigods, and a smile came to her face. “But, we do have demigods here.”

“Hylla did try to concuss Reyna, so she wouldn't remember the fight,” Annabeth began. She looked around. Her friends both glanced at her. “We can use that to our advantage. Hylla would probably keep up the pretenses and allow Piper or I inside.”

“I can go with you,” Reyna protested. Annabeth looked up at the daughter of Bellona. She knew Reyna's pride would never allow her to sit out while on a quest. They couldn't afford to take any more risks though. They needed Reyna to rest and heal up.

“You are too injured to help us, and if I had the choice, Piper would stay here, so she can rest,” Annabeth said. Piper went to protest, but Annabeth held up a hand. “Hylla wouldn't find it odd if I was the only one there, and it might lure her into a false sense of confidences.”

“What if Hylla decides to just take you as a hostage?” Reyna interrupted. “You can't go without any backup. Hylla would have no problems taking you as a hostage, if it gave her more control.”

“I won't allow her to,” Annabeth promised. “We are running out of time on our deadline, and we have no clue where the shield even is. You have to trust that I know what I am doing and can do it safely.”

Reyna looked away but nodded. She rubbed her forehead and sighed tiredly. Piper glanced at Annabeth, and the concern was clear in her eyes. Annabeth did her best to focus on the nearest wall. The demititans had been completely silent during their debate.

“Annabeth doesn't have to be alone,” Sarah began. “I could go with her and claim that I was sent by Camp Half-Blood to help, after what happened to Reyna and Piper. I know for a fact that no Amazons know that I exist.”

“It's not happening,” Alex interrupted. She gave Sarah a stern look and crossed her arms. Sarah sent her a reassuring look. The two had a silent debate that ended with Alex looking away and almost pouting.

“It would be nice to have you as backup,” Annabeth said to Sarah. The demititan seemed like she was the most trustworthy. Even if Sarah was going to betray her, she would either do it on the way to the Amazons or with the Amazons. Something told Annabeth the two groups were not allies at all. Soon, she would learn who her true ally was.

“Before you two go, we should see what was pulled from the box,” Thorn stated. He leaned back in his seat, and his gaze settled on Reyna. “May I retrieve your duffel bag and bring it back here?”

“Left pocket,” Reyna answered. After a moment, Thorn nodded and stood. He quickly hurried out of the cafeteria. The six of them sat in silence as they waited for Thorn's return. Other demititans in the cafeteria sent glances their way.

Thorn finally returned holding a piece of cloth. He sat it down at the table, before returning to his seat. For a moment, they all stared at the piece of cloth. Everyone seemed hesitant to show what was inside. Reyna finally grabbed the cloth and uncovered the item.

As Annabeth saw the blade, her breath caught in her throat. The blade was made of Celestial Bronze and steel. She had seen the weapon before, when it was intact. Annabeth stared at the weapon for a very long time, and she had flashbacks to the battle of Mount Olympus.

“That's Kronos' blade,” Alex whispered. She reached a hand forward to grab it but hesitated at the last second. Reyna looked around and almost seemed confused. It occurred to Annabeth that Reyna probably didn't know Kronos by his Greek name, but it didn't really matter.

“So, that leaves us with a very important question,” Thorn said. He looked around one more time and cleared his throat. “We have a piece of Kronos' sword, so how many more are there? And, who else has the other pieces?”


	15. The Suspicion

As the room fell into complete and utter silence, Piper stared at the blade resting on the table. She knew the stories about Camp Half-Blood's battle against Kronos. A piece of the blade did not seem like a big deal, but it was concerning that it wasn't locked up anywhere. Reyna looked up at them and seemed to be thinking.

“Kronos is Saturn, correct?” Reyna questioned. She chewed on her lip. “Nico told me that you had a large battle against him. We never did have the name Saturn mentioned when we went to war. What is so important about his sword?”

“Kronos' sword is the most powerful weapon that has ever been created,” Alex answered. She stood and unsheathed her own sword. Alex sat her sword down by the piece of Kronos' blade. “Ouranos was expelled from our world because of this weapon. I would dare to say it could expel any of the other immortals.”

“It seems like this sword is the same design as our,” Thorn commented. He smirked. “If it is, there should be three other pieces missing and the handle. For all we know, the sword could be an old Greek design. That doesn't tell us who has the other pieces.”

“Why would you only be given a piece?” Annabeth questioned. She leaned back in her seat, and her eyebrows came together thoughtfully. “I had a dream where Bellona and my mother were talking. They were looking at a map that had five locations marked. That must be where the other pieces are located.”

“Where were the other places?” Piper asked. She shifted and winced in pain. Hylla had not been so kind when she had broken it. Piper assumed that Reyna's broken heart was hurting worse though. An injured limb was nothing compared to the sting of betrayal.

“Both of the camps were marked,” Annabeth answered. “I don't know where the other two locations were marked. I didn't really focus on the map, since there was so much to take in.”

“Instead of wondering about things we cannot know, you two should get ready to go,” Alex interrupted. She glanced at Sarah and gave her an angry look. Piper watched the two quietly, but when she saw Annabeth nod, the only thing Piper could do was stand.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Annabeth commented. She led Piper out of the room. They both waited as Reyna stopped by Oliver and said something to him. Reyna nodded and slowly walked out of the room. The praetor was doing everything in her power to keep from wheezing.

“Do you think you can trick Hylla? Something tells me that she isn't that gullible,” Piper commented. When no response was given, she led her two friends towards their room. Demititans passed them, and odd glances were given every time. It seemed like they were surprised that everything was peaceful.

As they made it to the room, Reyna laid on the nearest bed and curled up. She pressed a pillow against ribs and sighed deeply. Annabeth and Piper sat on the bed next to her. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“How is your arm?” Annabeth asked. She looked at Piper and leaned against the wall. Piper looked down and slowly rubbed her arm. She leaned back as well and enjoyed the moment of rest. Something told her they wouldn't get more for awhile.

“It's better,” Piper answered. She looked at Reyna, who shifted and opened one eye. “I only had to remove my jacket. You got to show off your abs.”

A small smirk came to the praetor's face. She opened both of her eyes and shifted. Reyna spoke, “You could call it a personal goal. I went from a famished kid all the way to having abs. Jason had some as well, but I'm pretty sure he lost them when he went to Camp Half-Blood.”

Annabeth threw a pillow near Reyna but made sure not to hurt her. The smirk turned into a smile, but it was lost only a few moments later. Reyna looked down at the ground and sighed. The daughter of Bellona spoke, “My sister betrayed me.”

A heavily silence fell over the room. Piper glanced at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena bit her lip for a moment and slowly stood. She silently started to pack. Piper wanted to say something to make her friend feel better, but something told her Reyna wanted the quiet.

“Good luck,” Piper said to Annabeth. Her friend looked at her and smiled. “The demititans have a place where you can Iris message Percy. I already updated Chiron and Frank. They told us to be safe and careful. They also said they would keep things quiet.”

“Be safe,” Reyna muttered quietly. She shifted and looked at them for a moment. Then, she looked back down at the bed. Annabeth finished packing her things. She threw her bag over her shoulder and gripped her sword.

“I will be safe,” Annabeth promised. She gave both of them a smile before turning and walking out of the room. After a moment, Piper sat down on an empty bed and closed her eyes. Her hand moved to cradle the sling that her arm was in. She was already counting down the minutes till she could get rid of it.

A small noise caught her attention. Piper opened her eyes and looked at Reyna. It surprised her how tense her friend was. Then, Piper realized that Reyna was trying to hold it all together and most likely needed time to herself.

“I'm going to talk to Alex. I'll be back in a few,” Piper promised. When no response was given, she opened her mouth. She debated saying something else, but instead, Piper turned and walked out. It took her a few moments to remember which direction Alex' room was. At first, it had been a convenient excuse to escape the room, but there was some questions that she needed answers to.

Piper stopped outside of Alex's room. The door was slightly open, and Piper could hear voices. Part of her didn't want to spy on the two demititans, but she still found herself moving closer to the door.

“You need to stay safe,” Alex ordered. Her voice was low and angry, as if she was trying to keep from yelling. “The demititans cannot afford to lose you. I cannot afford to lose you. This plan is insane. There are a million things that can go wrong.”

“You're so cute when you worry,” Sarah commented. “And, you're so protective. Your face gets all red, and your voice does that weird thing Prometheus does when he has some grand plan. It is very cute. What isn't cute is your paranoia. Those three demigods won't hurt us.”

“Those three demigods wouldn't dare anything, while they are surrounded by demititans. What about when you are alone with the daughter of Athena?” Alex demanded. Her voice raised in level. “And, we don't know that Hylla won't just kill you on the spot. She's the queen of the Amazons. They aren't to be toyed with.”

“We're not toying with anyone,” Sarah said. “This is an important step that we have to take. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and this is a delicate situation. I think it requires my delicate touch, but I promise that I will be safe. Now, you should tell our demigod friends about your theory, miss hard ass.”

“It's a theory. Nothing else. I don't want anyone to be distracted by it. If I find something concrete, I will gladly share,” Alex said. She sighed. “You should get going. Promise me you'll be safe.”

Piper instantly backed away from the door. She slipped around a corner and counted quietly to herself. When Piper heard footsteps, she turned the corner again and almost ran into Sarah. The demititan gave her a nod before disappearing from sight.

Piper walked towards Alex's door and knocked. It took a few moments for the door to open. Alex examined her for a moment and spoke, “Daughter of Aphrodite, would you like to play some chess?”

“I'll pass,” Piper answered. She shifted for a moment and tried to figure out how dangerous Alex really was. “Actually, I wanted to talk about a dream that Annabeth had. You wanted to have the demititans fight with Kronos.”

Alex's eyes instantly narrowed. She glanced around the hallway before opening the door more to allow Piper in. Piper didn't take a step into the room. There was no way she could trust Alex enough, not until she had some kind of explanation.

“Scared to do anything without your bodyguards?” Alex questioned. She leaned on the door frame and studied Piper. “I hate the Olympians with every fiber of my being. If Olympus were to catch on fire, I would gladly gather the demititans to watch it burn.”

“Why do you hate them?” Piper asked. “The Olympians probably don't care much for you, but I doubt they try to actively destroy you. We don't have to be enemies, Alex. We don't even have to be friends. The important thing is that we work together.”

“Zeus murdered my mother,” Alex snapped. She pushed off of the wall and got right into Piper's face. Piper found herself being slammed into the wall a moment later. “I could not care less if Olympus fell. The only reason I didn't help was because my father ordered me stay out of the fight. If he hadn't, I would have destroyed you Greeks.”

Piper stared at Alex and slowly moved her hand to her dagger. A hand appeared on Alex's shoulder. Piper turned her head and met Reyna's eyes. Reyna spoke, “You should get your hand off of my friend. Now.”

“It looks like the bodyguard is back,” Alex commented. She stepped away and held her hands up. Reyna stepped in front of Piper and watched Alex closely. Piper gently grabbed Reyna's arm. She could feel how tensed the daughter of Bellona was.

“How did you even meet the Amazons?” Piper asked. She needed to keep the peace. Alex took another step away and leaned on her door frame.

“We haven't officially met,” Alex answered. “I thought all demigods were in the dark about us, until about a month ago. An Amazon ambush was the first sign we had of their knowledge about us. Of course, I would assume that Hylla would have told her sister about us, didn't she?”

“No,” Reyna answered, without hesitation. “Hylla hasn't told anything me anything about you. The first sign I had of the demititans' existence was when one tried to kidnap me. I believe that you ordered it, didn't you?”

“Sarah scouted the Amazons after the attack,” Alex said. “That's why she was there when the drakon attacked. I simply wanted answers to a question. We weren't going to kidnap or hurt you.”

Reyna's lip twitched, but she remained silent. Piper studied the demititan in front of them. What if it was all one big trick? What if Annabeth was walking into a trap? Piper swallowed painfully. She didn't trust Alex, but she did trust Sarah.

“Hopefully, nothing goes wrong with the Amazons,” Alex commented. She gave Reyna a look. “If something does happen to Sarah, I know who should pay the price.”

“We should go back to our room,” Piper said quickly. She grabbed Reyna's arm and tried to led her away. The daughter of Bellona didn't fight. She followed Piper after a few moments.

“I have a really bad feeling about this,” Reyna muttered. It was clearly hard for her to talk, let alone walk. Piper led Reyna back to their room and gently helped her laid down. Piper sat on the bed.

“We just have to hope that this gives us a new lead,” Piper said. She looked down at Reyna. “You need to rest and let the nectar and ambrosia do its job. The only thing we can do now is wait.”


	16. The Second Betrayal

“Are you sure that the Amazons are here?” Annabeth asked, as she looked up at the large hotel in front of them. It had a clear view of the park, but the place seemed to be almost dead. It was like the hotel didn't have any business. Annabeth looked at Sarah.

The demititan had changed into shorts and a jacket. A Greek breastplate was peeking out from her jacket. One hand fixed the bow that was hung across her back. Sarah looked like she had just stepped out of Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth assumed that was the look the demititan wanted to go for.

“You did say that the Amazons thought we had a base in the park. This is the only hotel that gives a great view of the park. They can sit at a window and scout it out. This hotel is also never this empty. Something is going on,” Sarah explained. Her eyes flickered around as if she was nervous.

Annabeth nodded and pushed open the doors of the hotel. Instead of an empty lobby, she saw multiple women moving around the lobby frantically. One had an armful of weapons that they were moving towards the elevator. Two more were consulting a map. Hylla leaned against the front counter, overseeing all of the chaos.

Hylla turned her head to look a them. Her eyes widened slightly. As two Amazons approached, Hylla pushed herself off of the counter and spoke, “We'll have three patrols of about twenty each. We'll start at the edges of the park and meet in the middle. I wanted everyone ready in less than a hour.”

Hylla ran a hand through her hair and turned towards Annabeth and Sarah. She studied both of them for a moment and spoke, “Annabeth, what are you doing here, and who is that?”

“We came for help on our quest,” Annabeth replied. “Piper, Reyna, and I were accused of stealing Ares' shield, and we got sent onto a quest to find it. Piper and Reyna were attacked by someone. They're hurt, and after running into your Amazons the other day, we hoped we could get some help.”

“How bad is Reyna?” Hylla questioned. There seemed to be legitimate concern in her face. “She wouldn't want to sit out on a quest.”

“Broken ribs,” Annabeth answered. “She's resting though. Piper got her arm broken. They'll be okay, but I didn't want them to risk further injury. We didn't know you were here though. I'm sure Reyna would have wanted to come, if she knew.”

Hylla nodded. Her eyes focused on Sarah. The demititan didn't waste a second. Sarah smiled and spoke, “My name is Sarah. I'm a daughter of Apollo, and since I live near here, Chiron asked if I could help, and I couldn't just leave Annabeth hanging. Will would have spent the rest of the week yelling at me.”

Annabeth glanced at Sarah. How did the demititan know that Will went to Camp Half-Blood and that it was probably the only child of Apollo that Hylla would recognize. Annabeth slowly looked back at Hylla.

“Well, I'm in the middle of helping the Amazons prepare for war,” Hylla said. She looked at Sarah for a moment before looking at Annabeth. “I'll help the best I can though. Is there anything in particular that you need?”

“When we talked to the Amazons, Vera said there was demigods nearby that you think are involved with the shield. Sarah knows the area well, so she can try to help you look around. I'll help however I can. We just want the shield when we find it,” Annabeth answered.

“I think that's a deal,” Hylla said with a nod. She didn't look like someone who had attacked her sister. The concern still seemed to be in her eyes. “Now, I want to talk about my sister's condition. Does she remember anything about her attacker?”

“No,” Annabeth lied. “She doesn't remember anything, but her concussion is subsiding. I'll make sure she knows you were here. Reyna will probably be upset that she missed you. She was already annoyed that we made her stay in bed.”

“Queen Hylla!” An Amazon called. Annabeth turned and saw an Amazon hurry out of the elevator. They tripped on the carpet and almost dropped their iPad. After a moment, the Amazon made it back to their feet. “The meeting is about to begin.”

“Meeting?” Sarah asked. “We didn't mean to keep you occupied. Should we get with one of your Amazons or just wait?”

“It's more of a war committee,” Hylla answered with a smirk. “Those idiots hiding nearby won't know what hit them. While I'm at the meeting, you two can explore all you like. It's a hotel, so I doubt you will find anything interesting.”

“Thank you,” Annabeth said. She glanced at Sarah. There was a bored, uninterested look in Sarah's eyes. The demititan was definitely a good actress. Hylla didn't look like she knew Sarah's real identity. “We'll probably just walk around for a little.”

Annabeth led Sarah towards a bench and quietly starting putting items in her backpack. She kept her back to the Amazon. “I've seen some Amazons carrying tablets. I assume it has important information on it. What do you think?”

“Yeah,” Sarah whispered. “I can steal one without drawing attention. It's a little skill I picked up. We'll have to get to a safe place before we look at it though. An empty hotel room could work, but we'd have to be able to get inside the room. A bathroom might work.”

Annabeth smiled. She grabbed the hat from her bag and pulled it out. It was her cap of invisibility, and it was back to full strength. After making sure no one was around, she put the cap on. Annabeth spoke, “I have it handled.”

“Nice,” Sarah commented. She leaned against the wall and looked around. One hand mindlessly messed with a dagger. Annabeth watched for a moment and debated staying there. If Sarah was going to betray her, it would be when she thought Annabeth wasn't watching.

After thirty seconds of staring, Annabeth turned and walked down the hallway. The twenty feet that she had to walk to the elevator was full of dodging Amazons that couldn't see her and flew by. An elevator was closing a few feet ahead of her, and Annabeth almost had to dive to make it.

“I want your candidates for the front line,” An Amazon said. She was looking over a clipboard but looked completely bored. The Amazon sighed and looked around the cramped elevator. Annabeth forced herself into a corner and did her best to not touch anyone.

“Are they really so good that we have to throw bait and fodder at them?” one of the Amazons asked. She was gripping a tablet and looked nervous about everything. She shifted and looked around. The other three Amazons all looked at each other.

“No clue,” the Amazon with the clipboard answered. “No one knows anything about these freaks. They weren't a threat during the war with Kronos, as far as we know. I don't really care. All I have to do is make the stupid list. Candidates. Now.”

As the elevator opened, Annabeth quickly stepped out. She realized her mistake as she saw the hallway was packed with Amazons. To avoid hitting anyone, Annabeth stepped into the first open room that she found. A familiar Amazon was pacing around angrily.

“I could not care less about this stupid group,” Vera muttered. She flung her weapon onto the bed and turned towards the Amazon leaning on a desk. It took Annabeth a moment to recognize the Amazon as Kelsey.

“It is now required that all Amazons learn how to use magic,” Kelsey said. She adjusted herself and brought her palm forward. A bright flame appeared in her hand. Annabeth's eyes widened, and she bit back a gasp.

There was a small list of people who could teach the Amazons magic. Was it possible that Hecate was involved with the shield? Why did all Amazons have to learn magic though? Hylla was still the queen. It made no sense to Annabeth.

“Queen Hylla has implemented some stupid policies as of late,” Vera commented. She shook her head. “First, it was this stupid thing where she just allowed the unworthy in. Then, it is the magic crap.”

“Are you bad mouthing our queen?” Kelsey questioned. She stood and walked towards Vera. “Do I need to remind you that you are on probation for what you have done. Should I have my lady speak to you?”

Vera's face paled. She finally shook her head and slowly sat on the bed. Annabeth studied the scene. It was odd that Kelsey had called Hylla her lady, unless she was talking about someone else. Something told Annabeth that they were missing a crucial piece to the puzzle.

Kelsey smirked and walked out. After a moment, Annabeth followed her. She trailed Kelsey till they were standing in front of the Amazon with the clipboard. The two waited for the hallway to begin to clear before they spoke.

“Should we add Vera to the front line with the others?” the Amazon with the clipboard asked. “It seems like she has started to question things a little more than she should. Someone overheard the conversation you two had.”

“Yes,” Kelsey answered. “Hopefully, the demititans are as good as we have been led to believe. They will help us silence a few dissenters, at no cost to us. It is beautiful. I really do love this plan. Vera is going to pay for her stupid mouth.”

“Hopefully,” the Amazon with the clipboard commented. She hummed and examined the clipboard with a small smile. “Now, they do have some cute slave boys. Do you think you can set me up on a date with one of them?”

Annabeth figured the conversation would go nowhere productive, so she stepped away from the Amazons. It took her a moment to walk back into Vera's room. Vera was muttering to herself and walking back and forth. After glancing behind her, Annabeth closed the hotel door.

“What in Hades?” Vera demanded. She stepped back and went to grab her sword. Annabeth took off her hat, and Vera stared at her. The Amazon looked extremely confused, and her mouth was hanging up a bit. It took her a moment to close her mouth. “What are you doing here? And how?”

“I need your tablet,” Annabeth answered. She glanced back at the door. “It's a long story, but we know that Hylla attacked Reyna. We know that something is wrong with the Amazons, but we don't know what it is. We need your help, and the tablet can help us. I also know that Kelsey is trying to kill you by putting you on the front lines against the demititans.”

Vera seemed to think the words over. She finally grabbed her tablet and threw it at Annabeth. Since Annabeth wasn't expecting a tablet to be flung at her, she almost didn't catch it. Part of her didn't think that Vera would hand over the information so easily.

“What is going on with the Amazons?” Annabeth asked. She unzipped her jacket and tucked the tablet into one of the inner pockets. Her eyes moved back to Vera. The Amazon opened the door and glanced out.

“Look, Hylla is playing with someone that she shouldn't be anywhere near,” Vera said. “Other, unworthy women have been joining the Amazons, and they all know magic. It's been giving them power and pull, even over the most senior Amazons”

Vera opened her mouth to say more, but the door opened. Annabeth whipped her hat back on. She disappeared from sight, and Vera glanced in her direction. The Amazon looked back a the door and spoke, “What do you want?”

“We have to go,” a woman said. She grabbed Vera's arm and pulled her out of the room. “I am not going to get yelled at for being late again because you wanted to lock yourself up in your room. Come on. Now.”

Annabeth followed behind the two Amazons and hurried back to the lobby. She didn't run into anymore Amazons along the way. In fact, it was like they had disappeared. Annabeth made it back to the lobby, which seemed to be completely void of Amazons. Sarah was leaning on a wall.

“They all just kind of walked away,” Sarah began, and she walked towards the daughter of Athena. Annabeth nodded and studied Sarah. Was it possible that her worries about the demititans betraying them were actually true? Annabeth looked around the lobby. “Did you get it?”

“I overheard them talking about attacking the demititans. It sounds like a full assault,” Annabeth answered. Sarah's eyes widened, and she looked around. Annabeth studied the demititan. Her eyes also glanced around. Where had the Amazons gone?

“W need to go,” Sarah said. “This is bad. This is really bad. We have to go right now and let Alex know. She can get everyone in a defensive position. Maybe, we can talk to the Amazons and work something out.”

“Unfortunately demititan, we are not going to work anything out,” Hylla said. Annabeth turned and saw Hylla leaning on the wall. It looked like she had been just around the corner listening to them. Sarah glanced at Annabeth and took a step forward.

“Queen Hylla, we can talk this over,” Sarah began. She ran a hand through her hair and rubbed her shoulder. “We don't have to go to war. Demititans and Amazons do not have to be enemies. We can be allies.”

Hylla chuckled with a smirk. She rested her hand on her belt. Sarah was still rubbing her shoulder. Hylla spoke, “I'm going to kill you demititan. Then, I'm going to kill your girlfriend and all of the other demititans.”

The hand that was Sarah was using to rub her shoulder instantly grabbed an arrow. Her bow appeared in her other hand. The arrow was fired a second later. Hylla simply caught the arrow and smirked. She threw a knife right at Sarah.

Sarah gasped in pain and stumbled backwards. She stared down at the knife buried in her chest. Annabeth stepped in front of Sarah and raised her sword. Hylla smirked and casually grabbed another knife.

Annabeth heard Sarah cry out, and she felt someone place a sword to her throat. The daughter of Athena moved her eyes down and didn't dare move her head. She moved her eyes to look at Hylla. The queen of the Amazons only smirked.

“Have you met my friend?” Hylla wondered. She walked towards them. “Well, I know you have. The two of us have been working hard to rebuild our groups and protect our friends.”

Annabeth's eyes widened. There was no way Hylla could be talking about who Annabeth thought she was talking about. The daughter of Athena felt the person shove her forward. She turned and stared at the person who had placed a sword to her throat. Annabeth spoke, “Thalia.”


	17. The Iris Message

Reyna slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. At the moment, she was the only one in there. She slowly turned onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. There was no telling how long she had been asleep. It could have been five minutes or five hours.

The time didn't really matter, since there was nothing she could do except rest. The emotional pain of her sister stabbing her in the back hurt more than the pain in her ribs and head. She had been tormenting herself with thoughts about Hylla and her motives. Those thoughts only caused anger and despair.

Reyna breathed too deeply, and pain spiked in her ribs. The physical pain was a welcome relief from the dark thoughts she was having. The pain in her ribs had reduced from earlier, so she was able to breath more easily. One hand moved to her side, and she was surprised to feel her fingers brush against something solid.

It took her a moment to use her elbows and the pillow to get into a half sitting position. She turned her head to look at the object. Reyna grabbed the sword that was laying by her. Both the sheath and the hilt were black. A symbol was carved into the cross guard. Reyna stared at it.

The symbol was a sword crossed with a torch: the symbol of Bellona. Was the sword a gift from her mother? Reyna slowly grabbed the sword and unsheathed it. Her breath caught in her throat. The blade of the sword was a crimson red, and there was writing carved into it: aut vincere aut mori.

“Conquer or die,” Reyna whispered to herself. She sheathed the sword only to see another symbol on the other side of the cross guard. She examined it, and her eyes narrowed as she saw scissors, or a shear. What was that suppose to mean?

Reyna slowly sat up and placed a hand to her ribs. It took a few moments for the pain in her ribs to turn into a dull ache. Something about the sword unsettled her. It wasn't a normal sword that someone would take into battle. They would be noticed instantly, and it was like the sword was a message.

Further examination showed a name carved into the hilt: Ultionem. It was an odd practice to name a sword. It was an even odder one to name it revenge. Reyna was left with the question of how the sword got there. Was it a late birthday gift from her mother, or was it a warning?

Reyna sighed and slowly stood. She placed her sword onto her belt loop and felt her ribs. It felt like they had healed a little, but she had a long way to go. Reyna turned her head as the door opened. Piper had a panicked look in her eyes.

“They need you,” Piper said breathlessly. She looked like she had just finished running. Reyna moved to Piper's side and examined her for any injuries. If there had been any fighting, she would have heard it.

“What happened?” Reyna questioned. She remembered Annabeth's meeting with Hylla, and there was a twisted feeling in her gut. Something bad had happened. The look on Piper's face confirmed it.

“There was an Iris message,” Piper answered. She caught her breath and grabbed Reyna's arm starting to lead her out. “This isn't good Reyna. I don't know what we're suppose to do.”

Reyna followed behind Piper. They walked down a long hallway before Piper made a sudden right. Reyna almost passed the room. She stepped inside, and anger instantly filled her.

“What do you want?” Alex demanded as she paced back and forth. She was glaring at an Iris message and was the only one in the room. Reyna looked at the Iris message and stared at her older sister. Hylla had a confident smirk on her face. Reyna glanced at Piper.

“Well, I think I want to start with world domination,” Hylla answered. She glanced behind her. Reyna saw a tied up Annabeth in the background. Sarah was nowhere to be seen, but someone was standing by Hylla. Was that Thalia Grace?

Reyna should have known. She remembered Hylla talking about how her and Thalia were closely involved in the rebuilding of the Amazons and Hunters. It should have been clear that the two were working together. Reyna walked towards the Iris message and stopped in front of it. Her older sister instantly lost her smirk.

“Long time no see, sister,” Reyna said digging her fist into the table. She glared at her older sister. “I have to thank you for your courtesy, Hylla. Last time, you betrayed me by stabbing me in the back. You were kind enough to do it to my face this time.”

“We want you and Piper to meet us,” Hylla replied. She studied Reyna and almost seemed to swallow painfully. “Alone. There are things that we need to talk about. You weren't suppose to remember anything, Reyna.”

“Where?” Piper asked. She stood by Reyna, who was starting to shake. Who did Hylla think she was? Why was Thalia working with her? Piper glanced at her.

“The park that is not far from here,” Hylla answered. Her eyes stayed focused on Reyna. There was now a calm, cool, and collected look to Hylla. She was treating it like everyday business. “It's a nice meeting place. I just want this to go smoothly.”

“I'm going to kill you,” Reyna said. After a moment, she blinked in surprise. The anger had caused the words to slip out, and it clearly wasn't expected. Piper and Alex both stared at her. Hylla seemed to be in shock.

The only thing Reyna could do was roll with it. She looked down for a moment and allowed a cruel smile to touch her lips. Reyna looked at her sister and spoke, “If we do see each other at the park for your little meeting, I will kill you.”

“You're not thinking right,” Hylla began. She glanced at Thalia and seemed to swallow painfully. There was no longer that look of confidence on her face. “Why don't you stop and think about what you're saying, Reyna? You couldn't, and wouldn't, hurt me.”

“Bring me the piece,” Reyna said looking at Alex. The demititan stared at her for a moment. She finally nodded. Reyna looked back at her older sister and studied her silently. This wasn't something new to the youngest daughter of Bellona. She was used to staring down at anyone who opposed her during Senate meetings, friend or foe.

Reyna had no clue why Hylla or Thalia would betray them. She didn't understand it, and she didn't think she would even try to. For the moment, her anger needed to be bottled up. The most important thing was getting Annabeth out of there safely.

“You went through a lot of trouble to get that box,” Reyna commented. She leaned on the table and stared directly into Hylla's eyes. For added effect, she smirked. “Do you even know what was inside? I do, because I opened it. You took a little too long staring down at Piper.”

“You're lying,” Hylla stated. She shook her head but glanced at Thalia. “No one, not even the gods, know what is in those boxes. I was told it was made by a Titaness and Zeus. Only one person can open the box.”

“I've been told the same,” Reyna stated. Alex stepped back into the room and slowly sat the piece of the blade onto the table. Reyna unwrapped it and gently picked it up. Thalia visibly flinched, but Hylla maintained eye contact. “Do you two know who this belonged to?”

“Kronos,” Hylla answered. It was her turn to smirk, and she raised an eyebrow. “Gaea wanted to reform it, so she could destroy the Olympians the same way they destroyed her husband and son.”

“If you think a broken blade is going to scare us, you're going to be disappointed,” Thalia warned. She glanced back at Annabeth. Reyna shifted and winced in pain. Her sister noticed the movement and almost seemed to smile. Reyna looked away.

“Let Annabeth go,” Piper said. She stepped closer to Reyna. “Or else.”

“What are you going to do, daughter of Aphrodite?” Hylla demanded. She picked up a knife and twirled it in her fingers. Without warning, she threw it right above Annabeth's head. It missed by centimeters. To Annabeth's credit, she didn't flinch.

Thalia tensed, and she gave Hylla a look that could have been a warning. Reyna studied the situation and tried to figure out how to exploit the situation. Thalia cleared her throat and spoke, “We are in control of this situation. You two will do as we say.”

“You two will let go of Annabeth,” Reyna snapped. She slammed her fist into the table and glared at Hylla. “My mission is to get that shield back, and you know damn well I will do everything in my power to get it back, even if I have to go through you and all of your Amazons.”

“And, what about you, demititan?” Hylla asked, as she looked at Alex. She wouldn't meet Reyna's eyes. “Would you really risk working with those two demigods? Are you really going to allow us to kill your girlfriend? She's already bleeding pretty badly, and it won't be long till she bleeds out.”

“We all have sacrifices to make,” Alex said coldly. Reyna slowly looked at the demititan. There was something cold to Alex's voice that made it seem like she really didn't care. Reyna almost wanted to ask for lessons. “If you think I care enough about Sarah to endanger the power I have here, you are wrong.”

“That's pretty cold,” Thalia commented. She looked at Hylla. “We always knew you demititans were unstable, but we still want to have this meeting with you. The three of you will be there in one hour, and it will only be the three of you. If we see another person, we kill Annabeth and Sarah. Is that understood?”

“No deal,” Alex said. She folded the piece of Kronos' blade back up into its cloth. Then, she looked back at the Iris message. “You can go ahead and kill the two of them. We're not dumb enough to walk into your trap.”

“Cold as your father,” Hylla commented. She pulled out another knife and stroked the blade. “I don't mind killing those two though. In fact, I can just do it now and save myself any trouble later.”

“We'll meet,” Reyna said. She was almost looking forward to round two with her sister. Reyna ended the Iris message. They had to stop wasting time and go to the meeting, even if it did put them at a disadvantage.

A hand roughly grabbed her shoulder, and Reyna was slammed into the wall. The breath was torn from her lungs, and she was left wheezing. Alex slammed her forearm into Reyna's throat and kept her pinned to the wall.

“Get off of her,” Piper snapped. She grabbed Alex and tried to pull her away. The demititan did not budge from her current position. Reyna tried to shove Alex away, but she was preoccupied with trying to catch her breath.

“If anything happens to Sarah, I am going to kill you,” Alex warned. She finally let go of Reyna and stepped away. Reyna coughed miserably and rubbed her throat. Her chest was aching miserably. Alex glared at both of them. “Can you really kill your sister, or were you wasting our time?”

“I was trying to throw her off her game,” Reyna snapped. She leaned on the table and tried to relax. The pain slowly faded away. “If you ever lay your hands on me again, I'll break your damn fingers.”

“Calm down,” Piper interrupted. She got in between the two of them. “We can't be divided right now. We have to work together, so we can help Annabeth and Sarah.”

Alex glared at both of them. The demititan spoke, “If we don't get Sarah back alive, you don't have to worry about the war that Ares is going to wage. I will kill the two of you where you stand and destroy both of your camps. Got it?”

It only took Reyna a moment to move past Piper and kick Alex's feet out from under her. She pinned the demititan with a knee and grab the knife from Alex's belt. Reyna forced the knife against Alex's neck, and she spoke, “I really don't appreciate your threats, and I am getting sick and tired of your mouth.”

Alex glared up at her, with no fear in her eyes. She did seem surprised by the fact that she had been taken down so easily. After a few deep breaths, Alex spoke, “I'm sorry. Sarah is the only person that I truly care for, and I can't stand to see her hurt. We should get ready to go.”

It took Reyna a few moments to stand. She stalked out of the room. All of her anger that was suppose to be directed at Hylla had just been taken out on Alex, but the demititan deserved it. Reyna heard footsteps and stopped walking. She looked at Piper.

“Are you doing okay?” Piper asked. Reyna nodded and looked away from Piper. She didn't know how she felt, other than anger. “Annabeth is going to be okay. We'll be able to get out of this trap. Besides, it's three against two, right?”

“Yeah,” Reyna muttered. She didn't know why Hylla and Thalia wanted to be outnumbered, but they had to use it to their advantage. Reyna sighed deeply and followed Piper to their room. “You're right. We'll be fine. Let's get ready to rescue Annabeth.”


	18. The Puppet Master

Piper awkwardly shifted in her bulky armor. The demititans had allowed her to borrow it with the promise that she would return it. Since all of the demititans had armor custom made for themselves, they had to find someone who was closest to Piper's size.

The blacksmith that had been repairing the armor didn't look so happy about handing it over to Piper, especially when it was mentioned that Piper was a daughter of Aphrodite. He had even seemed reluctant to hand the armor over, until Reyna gave him a very piercing wolf's glare.

Reyna glanced at Piper and fixed her cloak. She was dressed in her own repaired armor. Her hand moved down to her sword and gripped it. Piper found herself studying the sword. She had only seen it unsheathed once, and it completely unnerved her. Something about the sword wasn't right.

“Where are they?” Alex growled. She was pacing back and forth. There was a small trail where Alex was pacing in the mud. Despite her earlier words, it was clear that the demititan was worried about Sarah.

“They want us to squirm,” Reyna muttered. She crossed her arms and looked up at the sky. It was the first words the two had said to each other ever since they had left the base. Piper had kept a close eye on both of them.

“Oh, really? I would never have guessed,” Alex snapped. She gripped her sword. Alex was armed to the teeth. There was numerous knives on her belt, and a sword was strapped across her back. The demititan was ready for a fight.

The three heard a branch snap, and they all turned. Piper focused ahead and saw Hylla leading Annabeth forward. Thalia was following behind and carrying someone on her shoulder. Piper hoped that Thalia was carrying Sarah.

Both Hylla and Thalia weren't wearing armor, and they both had confident looks on their faces. Hylla threw Annabeth forward. The daughter of Athena stumbled forward and ended up falling to her knees. If there was a bright side, it was that Annabeth looked no worse than she did in the Iris message.

Annabeth's arms were tied behind her backs. A gag was in her mouth, and it seemed like she was trying to warn them. Her eyes kept flickering to the side, but Piper couldn't see anyone else near them. Piper moved her eyes to Sarah, as Thalia dropped the demititan to the ground.

Sarah was laying on her side but was clearly unconscious. Her face was pale, and blood covered her shirt. There was no sign of a weapon, so Piper could only assume that the wound was old. It looked like Sarah would live, hopefully.

“Reyna, we need to talk,” Hylla said. She walked towards them but stopped after a few feet. Reyna took a few steps forward, till she only a few inches from her sister. “Look, we can just talk this out Reyna. Okay? All this can be explained.”

“I'm sure it can,” Reyna commented. She looked back at Piper. Then, Reyna turned and punched Hylla hard in the face. She tackled her sister to the ground and stared to punch her. Piper blinked, and an arrow flew past her face.

Before Thalia could notch another arrow, Alex attacked her. Piper quickly ran towards Annabeth and pulled out her dagger. She cut the rope around Annabeth's wrists and removed the gag. The daughter of Athena gave her a grateful look. Annabeth spoke, “We have to go.”

“Stop,” a woman's voice ordered. The woman's voice cut through the clearing, and Piper found herself freezing in place. She slowly turned her head towards the voice. There was a different feeling in the air, and it took Piper a few moments to recognize it as charmspeak. “Everyone just calm down.”

“Circe,” Reyna whispered. She had her sister pinned to the ground and also had a fist raised. Reyna went to stand, but her sister grabbed her arm and slammed a knee into her ribs. The praetor collapsed and wheezed for breath. Hylla smirked and pinned her sister.

“Oh Reyna, it has been too long,” Circe said. She smiled and walked towards Reyna. It took a moment for Piper to step forward, but Annabeth grabbed onto her arm. “I just want to have a civilized chat with you.”

“Why don't you shove your chat up your ass?” Reyna snapped. She hissed as she was pulled to her feet. Hylla kept a tight grip on her sister and waited for Circe. “Why are you working with that witch?”

“I just need time to explain,” Hylla began. The two sisters studied each other and remained silent. Piper turned to look at Alex and Thalia. The demititan had backed away and was in a tense position as she watched.

“Hylla, I will abide by our deal and hold up my end of the bargain, if you hold up the end of yours,” Circe said. Hylla nodded and slammed her knee into Reyna's ribs once again. Reyna cried out and collapsed to the ground. She curled up and didn't move after that.

Hylla turned towards Alex and walked towards her. Thalia also moved towards the demititan. Alex looked back at Piper, as she started to back up. It was clear she didn't know what to do, but it seemed like she was ready to bolt.

“Run,” Annabeth said. She slowly moved to Reyna's side and knelt by her. After a moment, Alex looked at Sarah and cursed. She turned and ran from the clearing. Hylla chased right after her. After a glance back at Circe, Thalia did the same.

“What do you want with Alex? You could get any information from Sarah, or do you have another reason for wanting her?” Annabeth asked. Piper knelt by her fellow demigods and looked down at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona had yet to move.

“It doesn't matter,” Circe answered. She studied the three of them. “Annabeth, you are looking well and have matured well. The same goes for you Reyna, even though you haven't gotten rid of the terrible attitude. You are a mystery, daughter of Aphrodite.”

“Let us go,” Piper said. She tried to muster all of the charmspeak that she could. Circe simply smiled and walked towards them. Piper had a feeling the charmspeak wouldn't work. She glanced at Annabeth.

“It's three on one,” Annabeth warned. She nudged Piper, and the two managed to help Reyna stand. Reyna could barely stand on her own two feet and was clearly not in fighting shape. She was still trying to catch her breath and had a pained look on her face.

“It's safe to say that it's only two on one, but I always thought that one on one fights were the best,” Circe commented. She looked right at Annabeth. “As a daughter of Athena, you study and appreciate history, right? So, you would know how the Romans loved their gladiators. They loved pitting under matched Greek slaves against Roman conquerors. What do you say we recreate one of those battles, right now?

“No,” Piper whispered. She watched Annabeth grip her sword and glare at Circe. There was no way that Circe could charmspeak Reyna and Annabeth into fighting each other, right? Piper slowly looked at her two friends and hoped that the could take advantage of their numbers. “I won't let you use your charmspeak.”

“You will shut your mouth,” Circe hissed. Piper tried to speak, but she found that her voice was gone. Horror hit her chest as she realized that Circe's charmspeak was keeping her from speaking. “Do you really think that your charmspeak can begin to stand up to mine? You are nothing, daughter of Aphrodite.”

“Leave her alone,” Reyna snapped. She tried to grab her sword but ended up hissing in pain and keeping her arms at her side. It was clear movement was extremely limited for Reyna. Circe smiled and backed away.

“I'm sure you can ignore the pain and grab your sword, only to turn that blade on Annabeth,” Circe said. Piper felt the overwhelming magic, and she saw Reyna close her eyes. The daughter of Bellona looked like she was trying to fight the charmspeak, but her hand slowly grabbed her sword.

“I know that you still harbor that anger,” Circe continued. “You remember that Annabeth took your home, your safe place, away from you. I know that you want revenge, Reyna. All you have to do is grab your sword.”

Annabeth grabbed her sword, and she went to attack Circe. The witch easily stepped away, and her smile seemed to widen. She spoke, “Reyna, you are a Roman. You were bred to destroy the worthless Greeks. When I last checked, you were still a true Roman, weren't you? Has Camp Jupiter made you soft?”

“Shut up,” Reyna snapped. It looked like she was struggling to ignore the pain and Circe's charmspeak, but Piper knew it was a losing battle. Reyna finally opened her eyes. There was a dazed look in them. As the daughter of Bellona unsheathed her sword, Piper felt her heart drop.

“Reyna, we don't have to do this,” Annabeth said. She turned and backed away from Reyna. The praetor moved to the side and suddenly stabbed forward. Annabeth jumped back only to hit part of a slide. She dove to the side as a sword slammed into the slide.

Annabeth tackled Reyna to the ground. She tried to pin both of Reyna's arms, but the only thing she received was a headbutt. Annabeth was thrown backwards and barely dodged a thrown dagger. The daughter of Athena quickly backed up.

As Piper went to rush forward, she felt Circe grab her arm. Circe spoke, “No. We are going to watch this. I'm very interested in who will win this one, aren't you? There has to be something in the back of your head that wonders which daughter of war is the stronger one.”

Piper could only watch as Annabeth dodged another sword attack. Annabeth dove to the side and scooped up a bit of sand. She turned and threw it into Reyna's eyes. It was a dirty tactic, but it allowed Annabeth time to grab her sword from the ground and study her surroundings.

“I don't want to hurt you,” Annabeth warned. She deflected another sword attack and glanced at Piper. It took a few moments for Piper to nod. Annabeth needed to do everything in her power to incapacitate Reyna.

“Why are Hylla and Thalia working with you?” Piper demanded. She turned and looked at Circe. “They can't be under your charmspeak, so why did they decide to work with you?”

“I can't tell you, since you would try to stop me,” Circe answered. She smiled as she heard a cry of pain. Piper turned to see Annabeth's am had a nasty cut on it. Reyna smirked and stabbed forward again. Annabeth dodged, but her foot hit on the edge of a seesaw, and she fell backwards

Reyna pressed her foot into Annabeth's neck and studied her. She raised her sword. A cry built in Piper's throat, but Circe covered her mouth. Reyna brought her sword down. At the last second, she stopped. Her sword was a centimeter from Annabeth's chest.

Piper felt Circe throw her forward. She tried to stand, but someone pinned her. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw Hylla. The queen of the Amazons had a bruise forming on her face. She had a small smirk though.

“Where is the demititan?” Circe demanded. Hylla flinched and didn't reply. Circe took a deep breath and looked back at Reyna and Annabeth. Reyna slowly stepped away from Annabeth and helped her stand. The praetor still seemed to be in shock.

“Thalia is still chasing her,” Hylla answered. “I thought it would be best to come back and help you.”

“It wasn't,” Circe muttered. She took another deep breath. “All I want is your sister. The other two are you expendable. In fact, you can just kill the daughter of Aphrodite now.”

“Wait,” Reyna said. She took a few steps forward. “Let Piper go. You want me, right? I'll go with you. No fight. Just let everyone else go free.”

“You're not doing that,” Annabeth said. Reyna shot her a look and moved closer. The two whispered for a moment. Annabeth finally looked away and nodded. Piper looked at the two of them and shook her head. They couldn't just let Reyna give herself up to Circe.

“Sheathe the weapon,” Circe ordered. Oddly, there was no charmspeak in her voice; nevertheless, Reyna did as she was told. “Hylla, you can throw the daughter of Aphrodite towards the worthless demititan and grab your sister.”

Piper gasped as she was pulled to her feet and thrown towards Sarah. It took all of her focus to land on her uninjured side, but it still sent pain through her arm. Annabeth was at her side a few moments later.

“We can't let them take Reyna. We have to help her,” Piper whispered. She tried to stand, but Annabeth gently grabbed her arm and gave her a look. Piper understood, even if she didn't want to. Reyna was surrendering herself in exchange for four other people. It didn't make Piper feel any better though.

Annabeth picked Sarah up and helped Piper to her feet. As they started to walk away, Piper looked back at Reyna. The praetor was face to face with her sister, but she didn't fight as Hylla grabbed her. As they passed through trees, the last thing Piper saw was Reyna giving her a reassuring look.


	19. The Soothsayer

Reyna looked around the room that she was trapped in. A metal table sat in front of her, and one hand was strapped to it. Her palm was facing up, with no way to move her hand. She had been sitting there ever since she been dragged in from the park.

The praetor muttered curses in three different languages. It was hard to pick one emotion to focus on, but anger was slowly starting to win out. As Reyna thought about her anger, she also started to think about her sister.

How could Hylla even work for the witch? There was no reason for Hylla to, and the two daughters of Bellona had sworn to each other that they would stay away from the witch. How was Circe involved with the shield? Circe had no need for the shield, and she also wouldn't have been able to steal it. Did she use Hylla or Thalia for that?

Reyna looked down at her restrained arm and tried to focus on something else. Surrendering to Circe had been one of the hardest things that she had ever done, but it was a necessity. There was no way that she could allow for Piper or Annabeth to be injured, and she would be able to find out more about the shield, hopefully.

As was her ritual for the past hour, Reyna tried jerking her arm out of the restraint. Her wrist ached in protest, and blood trickled from the restraint and down her wrist. Reyna cursed and pulled at her arm again. Pain stopped her in her tracks. A loud curse escaped.

Since there was nothing she could else she could, Reyna started to think again. She replayed the events of the quest. They were left with many more questions than answers. Athena had said that the shield was a distraction for something bigger, so what was it? Was Circe involved?

Reyna sighed and laid her head against the cool, metal table. Circe really didn't have many allies. There didn't seem to be any reason that Circe would want the shield, but the witch had to be involved, somehow. Reyna was sure of it.

As the door opened, Reyna looked up. She was not surprised to see Hylla and Thalia. The sight of the two sent anger through Reyna, especially when she looked at her older sister. They both looked tired, and Thalia had a new cut on her face.

“Did Alex give you that cut?” Reyna questioned. She knew the two had chased down Alex, but she suspected that the demititan had gotten away. Thalia ignored the comment and leaned on the wall. Hylla walked towards Reyna and knelt in front of her.

“How do you feel?” Hylla asked. Her tone was gentle, like a sister that actually cared. Reyna didn't answer. She wanted to curse her sister out, but the only thing she could do was take a few deep breaths. Hylla pressed her hand against Reyna's ribs.

Reyna hissed in pain and recoiled at the touch. There wasn't anywhere for her to go, so she ended up just pressing herself against the chair. Hylla spoke, “Your ribs don't feel as bad as I thought they would. That's a good thing.”

It took all of Reyna's willpower remain silent. Hylla finally sighed and stood. She gently brushed loose hair out of Reyna's face. Thalia spoke, “Sooner or later, your sister will realize that we only have her best interests at heart.”

The door opened once again, and a humming filled the air. Reyna glared at the table and refused to look up at Circe. It didn't take long for the witch to grab her jaw and force her head up. Circe spoke, “I have a very special guest that is coming to visit. I need you on your best behavior.”

Reyna remained silent, despite the fact that she wanted to curse Circe out. It was something she wanted to do every single time she was around Circe. Something about the witch caused Reyna to lose her temper and composure. Her thoughts were interrupted as her head was slammed into the back of the chair.

“Your sister and I have a special agreement. I don't want to violate it, but if you do anything to disrespect my guest, I will. Is that understood, praetor?” Circe questioned. She finally let go of Reyna. Since deep breaths weren't advised, Reyna counted backwards from ten.

The door opened a third time, and Reyna slowly looked up. She examined the woman that slowly walked into the room. The woman had a shawl that completely covered her face. Her skin was the color of chocolate and mostly covered by clothing. The woman sat across from Reyna.

“So, this is the girl that holds the fortune I am going to read?” the woman questioned. Her voice was old and ancient. A shiver ran down Reyna's spine, but no one else seemed affected by it. Reyna shifted in her seat and wished she was anywhere else.

“You took me to have my fortune read?” Reyna finally asked. She looked at Circe. “I thought that you were done wasting everyone's time, or is it still your favorite thing to do?”

The woman grabbed Reyna's hand, and a shiver ran through Reyna. Fingers ran over her wrist and palms. A terrible feeling settled in Reyna's chest. Circe's hand gripped her shoulder, and the witch studied the woman silently.

“What do you see, soothsayer?” Circe asked. Reyna swallowed painfully. She wanted to be anywhere but the room. This definitely wasn't how she imagined her day going when she had surrendered. The soothsayer hummed to herself as she traced Reyna's palm before moving to her forearm.

“In the past, rogues meant to push the gambit over the edge. A party with a dark shadow cast over it. An attack with more intentions than death,” the soothsayer answered. Reyna stared for a few moments before looking away.

“What else?” Circe prompted. Reyna hissed as the soothsayer grabbed her jaw with one hand. She forced Reyna to meet her eyes, and her black eyes met the soothsayer's light green ones. The eyes seemed to pierce Reyna's soul.

“I see the gauntlet being thrown down. It is picked up by the master of the thieves. No. She is just a pawn in the game,” the soothsayer continued. Her words almost sounded like a warning. It didn't make any sense though. What would the soothsayer be warning her about?

“I see a great betrayal. Et tu. Et tu. Et tu, Brute,” the soothsayer said, and she started to shake. The soothsayer let go of Reyna's jaw, but she continued to stare into her eyes. Reyna found herself unable to look away.

“You too, Brutus,” Reyna whispered. Those were the last words that Julius Caesar had spoken before his assassins finisher their jobs. A chill ran down her spine at the words. Reyna tried to pull away from the soothsayer, but an iron grip kept her from moving.

“You are fateless, yet you are full of it,” the soothsayer whispered in Latin. Reyna stared completely and utterly confused. Without any reason, panic started to set in. Reyna tried to calm herself, and Circe hummed.

“As we grow closer to learning our fate, the more scared we get,” Circe warned. She regarded Reyna with a new look. Circle finally looked over at the soothsayer and nodded, as if she was waiting for more. Thalia and Hylla were just watching, emotionless. They were like zombies.

“There is more. The wrath of the sky is near. No, it is here. The storms are the cause. You are the cause,” the soothsayer said. She grabbed Reyna's face again. Reyna tried to pull away but was unable to.

“Et Tu,” the soothsayer continued. “A betrayal is near. I warned Caesar of a similar fate. He ignored me and did not listen. His string was cut, and his life ended. But, it did not truly. All because he was deaf to the world around him. Are you going to suffer the same fate?”

It was at that point that Reyna had enough of the soothsayer. She tried to rip her arm out of the restraint with more force than before, and her other hand tried to shove the soothsayer away. Circe grabbed Reyna's head and forced it back. A knife rested on the praetor's exposed throat.

“Relax,” Circe ordered. Reyna glared up at her and tried to calm herself. The soothsayer was older than she had any right to be, and there had to be a special reason that Circe had brought the soothsayer to meet Reyna. The praetor tried to calm down as her panic attack got even worse.

“There is a little more. It is deeper,” the soothsayer whispered. Reyna felt the soothsayer grab her unrestrained hand and move it, so her palm was facing up. She heard the sound of a knife scraping out of its sheathe. The next thing she felt was pain, as a knife entered her wrist.

The soothsayer slowly dragged her knife down Reyna's forearm. Reyna didn't dare jerk her arm away, and it took all of her willpower to keep from crying out. Any movement would only cause more damage to her arm or cause Circe's knife to cut into her neck.

“Yes,” the soothsayer whispered. She almost seemed to smile. “I can sense it. You are the one that is needed. You are the one that is required. Dear girl, you are going to help shape the world.”

“Will she disrupt or help our plans?” Circe questioned. She moved the knife, and pushed Reyna's head forward. Reyna tried to calm herself and keep her pulse from racing. It took her a few moments to look up at the soothsayer. “Tell me, is it truly going to happen?”

“It began with the Titan of time, and it should have ended with Mother Earth,” the soothsayer whispered. It was like she was only talking to Reyna. “The cycle is the key. It is always the key. The cycle will continue, or it won't. Perhaps, you will decide.”

“No, that would be one without fate, but you are. Yet, you are not. I see it in the blood. Do you see it, witch?” the soothsayer asked. Without warning, the soothsayer pressed two fingers into the cut on Reyna's arm. Reyna cried out and tensed in her seat.

“What are you doing to her?” Hylla demanded. She grabbed the soothsayer's arm tightly. The soothsayer looked completely unaffected, and she only dug her fingers in further. Hylla's grip seemed to tighten.

“The answer is always in the blood,” the soothsayer whispered. Reyna stared at her arm unable to look up. There was no more hiding her pain. All she could do was shake miserably and watch the blood flow from her wound. “It is always in the blood.”

“We're done here,” Hylla snapped. She pulled the soothsayer away and undid Reyna's restraint. The only thing Reyna could do was press her bloody arm against her shirt and press her face into the table. She wanted to cry from the pain, but she refused to give Circe the satisfaction.

“Take care of her,” Circe ordered. Reyna tensed as the witch moved closer to her and leaned next to her. “You are going to a temple with us. It will be your last stop, praetor.”

Reyna didn't respond as she heard footsteps leave the room. After a few moments, someone rushed back in. Reyna hissed as Hylla grabbed her arm and pressed towels to it. Through the pain, the praetor spoke, “Why are you two working for her?”

“Don't talk. You need to save your strength and stay conscious,” Hylla said. She lifted the towel to examine the cut but quickly pressed the towel down with more pressure than before. Reyna hissed in pain and tried to shove her sister away.

“Why?” Reyna repeated. She stared at the wall and tried to calm down. Thinking of the soothsayer's words only freaked her out. She needed to stay focused on being angry at her sister. Anger anchored her. “Why are you working with her?”

“I'm protecting you from your fate,” Hylla whispered. She gently grabbed Reyna's face and forced Reyna to look at her. “That's all I've been trying to do. I have to protect you.”

“How exactly is this protecting me?” Reyna demanded. She did her best to motion to her arm. “Or, is this exactly like the time you ignored mother when she wanted us to leave Circe's island? Do you remember what happened, because you refused to leave?”

“I did what I had to do,” Hylla said. Her face only had worry in it. There was no anger to be found. Reyna probably had enough anger for both of them. She glared at her sister.

“Circe is using charmspeak on you,” Reyna spat. She didn't know how the effects of charmspeak were lasting so long, but that was the only explanation. Hylla couldn't betray Reyna without being influenced.

Thalia glanced at them and stepped out of the room. She came back holding a first aid kit. Reyna hissed as her arm was pinned to the table, and Hylla started to stitch her arm. They had mostly gotten the bleeding under control, but Reyna was left feeling dizzy and sick.

“I know you don't understand why I am doing this, but I have my reasons,” Hylla whispered. She grabbed Reyna's jaw and forced Reyna to meet her eyes. “You just have to trust me. You know I have your best interests at heart.”

“You're working with Circe,” Reyna muttered. She wanted to say more but couldn't find the strength. Hylla mumbled something, and it took Reyna a moment to realize that it was not in English. She slowly looked at her sister.

“I'm doing this for you,” Hylla whispered in Spanish. She gently touched Reyna's cheek. “We are going to mother's temple in Death Valley. When we get there, the only thing we have to do is wait. Did anyone ever tell you about mother's temple? Only the bravest of warriors traveled there for her blessing, before they went to war.”

“You still haven't told me why you are working with Circe,” Reyna muttered in English. She refused to use their native tongue, and she refused to allow Hylla to ignore her questions. Hylla seemed like she wanted to answer, but there was an unsure look on her face.

“After Orion's attack on us, we knew that the Amazons and Hunters were in trouble,” Thalia answered. Reyna slowly looked at the Huntress. “When the rogue Amazons attacked you, it only confirmed that thought. We knew we needed to get some help, and Circe offered that help.”

Reyna looked down. That had to be what the soothsayer was alluding to when she said rogues meant to push the gambit over the edge. The rogues were the Amazons that had attacked her. What was the gambit though?

It seemed like Circe was the one pulling the strings, so Hylla and Thalia were just pawns to her. What did Circe gain by having Mars' shield, if she even had the shield. None of it made sense to Reyna, but she knew that Circe would lead her to an answer.

“Hey,” Hylla said. She grabbed Reyna's arms. It took Reyna a long moment to look up at her sister. There was clear concern in Hylla's eyes. “You can't pass out on me, okay? Stay with me.”

“I'm fine,” Reyna protested, but she could hear how slurred her words were. Everything also seemed to be getting dimmer. Reyna closed her eyes again and felt herself getting weaker. Hylla gripped her arm.

“She's lost a lot of blood,” Thalia commented, as she rummaged through her pockets. After a moment, Thalia hurried out of the room. Reyna groaned and slowly looked around. Her eyes focused on the dagger that was still on the table.

Thalia was gone from the room, and Hylla was completely distracted by Reyna's injury. If Reyna could muster up the strength, she could stab her sister in the shoulder, knock her out, and escape. The praetor looked back again and felt sick at the sight of the blood that seemed to cover the table. All of the blood couldn't belong to her, right?

Reyna glanced down at her right arm. She focused on the jagged cut on her arm, and she tried to clench her fist. Nothing happened. Fear tore through Reyna. It looked like the soothsayer had done a large amount of damage to her sword arm. That was something she could not afford.

“Thalia is going to get you some nectar and ambrosia,” Hylla promised. She made Reyna look at her again. “You have to promise me that you are going to stop fighting Circe. I don't want her to think about hurting you. She wants to work with us.”

Reyna wanted to respond but couldn't. She was finding it harder to keep her eyes open. Hylla hugged her suddenly and started to rub her back. Despite Reyna's anger, she found herself resting her head on Hylla's shoulder. Hylla held her close, and Reyna slowly fell into a dreamless sleep.


	20. The Destination

Annabeth stared down at the ground and tried to hide her worry. She had no clue if Reyna was still alive, let alone safe. The praetor had promised that she would be fine, but Annabeth wasn't so sure anymore. There was no time for regrets though. Reyna would tell them to find the shield.

“There is nothing we can do but wait,” Oliver hissed. He was standing over Sarah and trying to close up the wound on her chest. Sarah was extremely pale and had been given blood from another demititan, who was sitting in the corner of the room. They were drinking juice and focusing on the ground. “Sarah is unconscious and hurt. Alex is still missing.”

“You're pathetic,” Thorn snapped. He slammed his fist into the wall. Piper slowly looked up. She had been staring at the ground and cradling her arm. Her regret was clear. Annabeth nudged her gently and tried to give her a comforting look. Her eyes returned to the demititans. Oliver flinched, but Thorn walked towards him. “The Amazons and the Hunters have attacked our allies and one of our own. There is only one answer.”

“We left Reyna behind,” Piper whispered. “We shouldn't have just left Reyna with Circe. There's no way this can end well. Annabeth, we have to find her.”

“We will,” Annabeth whispered back. She looked at Piper. “I promise. Reyna can find out more about the shield, and maybe, she can talk some sense into her sister. Reyna can handle herself. It's Circe that should be worried.”

“Do you just want us to call up the entire army and attack?” Oliver demanded. He took a deep breath and gently pressed a bandage to Sarah's chest. “It would be suicide! You and I both know that! We can't just risk our entire army, especially since we aren't all here!”

“Would you rather hide like a coward instead of dying like a man?” Thorn snapped. “Oh, that's right. You never want to to fight! You hide from any kind of confrontation. What should we do Oliver? Should we just hide and allow a war to start, even if we could have stopped it?”

Annabeth looked away from the arguing and looked down at her jacket. She unzipped the jacket and gently pulled out the tablet. It didn't look damaged, but there was no telling if she could even find anything useful in it.

The door suddenly opened, and they all turned. Alex stepped into the room and instantly moved to Sarah's side. Alex collapsed to her knees and pressed both hands to her hip. Her eyes stayed focused on Sarah, despite the fact that everyone was staring at her.

“How bad is she?” Alex asked. She slowly looked at her fellow demititans. Alex was soaking wet and seemed to be in pain, but she refused to move away from Sarah. Thorn gently grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it.

“Sarah lost a lot of blood,” Oliver answered. He slowly stood and looked at Alex. His eyes moved to her two hands, and his eyes widened. Oliver had seemed surprised even since Alex had walked back into the room. “You're bleeding. What happened?

“Stupid Hunter and her stupid arrow,” Alex muttered. She shifted and hissed in pain. “The lieutenant shot me in the hip a quarter of a mile away from where the clearing was. The queen of the Amazons went back to that witch to report their success. Thankfully, I was able to outsmart the lieutenant.”

“Were you followed, or did your blood leave a trail?” Thorn asked. He grabbed Alex and pulled her to a bed. Annabeth could see Alex had broken off both ends of the arrow. She cried out as Thorn pulled the rest of the arrow out of her hip. Oliver moved to their side.

“I thought the Hunters of Artemis were involved,” Alex muttered. She slowly looked at Annabeth and Piper. “I didn't trust you three enough to tell you. I'm sorry. My mistake cost all of us. Ask anything. I will answer it to the best of my ability.”

Annabeth watched Alex. She understood the demititan's reason for withholding information, but why would she still let Sarah go to the Hunters, if she suspected them? It didn't make sense. Annabeth narrowed her eyes and looked at Piper.

“What do you really know about Kronos' sword?” Piper asked. It looked like she was connecting the dots as well. The demititans seemed to be focused on Alex's injury and not her words. Alex groaned in pain and took a deep breath. She slowly looked at them.

“I had no clue it was in the box. Truthfully, I thought it was with one of the giants or sitting in a forge unfinished. We knew that the sword was being reforged by Gaea, at the same time she was trying to raise the giants. Rhea sent us on a mission to destroy the forge,” Alex answered. “When we found the sword, all five pieces were just laying there, and it just needed a binder. But, that damn forge exploded in our faces.”

“I'm guessing those were the same pieces you saw in your dream,” Piper commented, as she looked at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena nodded and watched Alex. Could they trust Alex?

“Between the two camps and your box, we have three pieces,” Annabeth said. She crossed her arms. “So, that leaves two pieces unaccounted for. Who would have the other pieces though?”

When no one answered, Annabeth looked down at the tablet and started to scroll through it. Thankfully, there was no password. As she read through the messages, a pattern started to form. A lot of the emails talked about supplies being sent to California, and most of them were going to a place called Ridgecrest. It took her a moment to report her findings to the others.

“So, we have our decision,” Alex said. It took her a moment to stand, and she had to use the table to balance. “We need to send a message to the troops and have them meet us at a city near Ridgecrest. We can use it as a meeting point and attack this base. The shield has to be there. Why else would they supply it?”

Annabeth frowned. They didn't know if the shield was there, and if they did go to Ridgecrest and couldn't find anything, it would be the end of the line. There would be no time for them to find where the shield actually was, retrieve it, and return it on time. It was a dangerous gamble.

They could also ask Camp Jupiter for help, but what if this was a trap? Could they afford to pull Romans away from Camp Jupiter? Annabeth would rather have her and Piper walk into a trap than pull any Romans into it. She also didn't want them to know that one of their praetors was missing, again.

“We need a vote,” Oliver said. He forced Alex to sit back down and started working on her wound again. Alex looked ready to argue but groaned in pain. “It's always been our way, Alex. We vote on what we must do, especially if we have no clue what we are walking into. That is why I vote no.”

“I vote yes,” Alex said through gritted teeth. Both Oliver and Alex looked at Thorn. They both wanted an answer at that moment, but it didn't look like Thorn was willing to respond. “We can't waste anymore time. We have to get moving.”

“My vote doesn't even matter, since Sarah is still unconscious. We will have to discuss it when she wakes,” Thorn said. He crossed his arms. Alex shook her head and cursed.

“Should we go?” Piper asked. Annabeth looked at her friend and tried to think. It was the only real lead they had, and if they were wrong, there was still a chance that Reyna would be able to find the shield. Annabeth nodded slightly. They didn't know if they would have the demititans backing them up, which made everything more dangerous.

“We don't know if the shield is there, but we need to take the chance,” Annabeth answered. She sighed tiredly. “We don't have much time left, so this is our best shot. If the demititans don't come, we'll just have to sneak in and out.”

“I can get you two supplies, even if we don't follow,” Thorn said. He stood and opened the door for them. Annabeth glanced at Piper and walked out. She heard Piper follow behind. They walked down the hallway, and Thorn ducked into a room.

“There's something you wanted to talk about in private,” Annabeth assumed, as she stepped into the room. Piper stepped in behind her and closed the door. Thorn nodded and started to pace.

“We have a traitor in the demititans,” Thorn said. He looked at them. “I think it is Alex. She has been sending a large amount of messages to someone, and it seems like Alex has been distant for a month now. She's cold, but this is something new. I think there is a trap waiting in Ridgecrest, but I also think that is where the shield is.”

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Piper asked. She glanced at Annabeth. It wouldn't do to walk into a trap, especially if it was just the two of them. What other option did they have though?

“There is nothing I can do,” Thorn answered. “If Sarah votes yes, I will as well. We will march into whatever trap there is and do our best to survive. I may be wrong, and Alex might not be the traitor. I will have to talk to Sarah about it.”

Annabeth shared another look with Piper. They seemed to share the same thought that they could only trust each other and Reyna. Piper spoke, “We can still go on ahead and scout it out. We can send a report when we get there.”

“I don't want to send you two alone into the belly of the beast,” Thorn said. “I also do not want to send my army into a trap. It will be a tough decision demigods, and I know that it is unfair that I put the demititans before you. I want to offer a token of good faith.”

Thorn walked towards two backpacks and handed one to Annabeth and the other to Piper. He grabbed a piece of cloth and unwrapped it to show the piece of Kronos' blade. He rewrapped it and handed it over to Annabeth. The daughter of Athena quickly put it into her backpack.

“Keep it safe,” Thorn said. He nodded to them and walked out. Annabeth looked at Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite gave her a small, nervous smile. Together, the two walked out of the room and down the hallway. They were either right about the location of the shield, or they were about to walk into certain death.


	21. The Witch

Reyna was surprised to open her eyes and find herself on an airplane. She wasn't surprised to find handcuffs around her wrists. They were extremely tight and digging into her skin. Reyna slowly lifted her hands and tried to clench her fist. Her muscles refused to move, and it was impossible to make a fist.

Fear shot through her. There was no way she could lose feeling in her hand. She needed to be able to grab and hold onto a sword. Reyna tried to clench her fist again and took deep breaths. After a moment, Reyna slowly checked her surroundings.

Reyna was alone, but she could hear numerous voices all around her. A quick glance around showed that the plane was filled with Amazons and Hunters. If they had been on the ground, Reyna would have attempted some kind of breakout. If she could find the right supplies and a parachute, she might still attempt to escape.

“Hey,” a voice greeted. Reyna jumped in surprise and looked at Vera. The Amazon regarded her with cold eyes and sat by her. “Do you know how much groveling I had to do just to receive this assignment? I had to pretend like I actually cared about these idiots in here.”

“Why?” Reyna asked. She shifted and slowly rubbed her arm. Her gaze focused on Vera, and the Amazon sighed. Vera looked around to make sure that no one was listening to them. She leaned in closer to Reyna.

“I am sick and tired of that witch,” Vera answered. “She walked into our base like she owned the place. The witch is a pompous little bitch, and she's changed Queen Hylla for the worst. At first, I thought the queen was just going through some issues from losing her girlfriend, but I think the witch has something to do with it.”

“I can't believe Hylla would go to Circe for help,” Reyna muttered. She glared at the seat in front of her. “When you and your rogue Amazons attacked me, Hylla must have felt insecure in her position, so she went to Circe. Great.”

“Doris really only talked about attacking you,” Vera grumbled. She crossed her arms and sighed. “Then, she had a meeting with some mysterious woman and suddenly decided to drive a knife through your heart. I wonder who that person could have been.”

Reyna didn't say anything. She looked out the window and tried to think. Hylla had played right into Circe's hands, but what did Circe have to do with the shield? Why would she want it? Or, was she using the shield as a distraction?

“Praetor, do you have a plan?” Vera whispered. She looked around. “You're kind of stuck on a plane and surrounded by Amazons. It's not looking that good for you. Did I mention that we were on a plane?”

“I'll be fine. I have a plan,” Reyna said. She was lying through her teeth, but she sounded completely confident. It was a nice skill to have. “The most important thing is getting a message to Annabeth and Piper. I was told that we are headed to Death Valley.”

“I can do that,” Vera said. She glanced around and smirked. “Idiots are sleeping. I can probably send an Iris message to them. That Athena girl is Annabeth Chase, right? Whatever. I'll figure it out. Oh, Hylla thinks I hate you. Let's keep it that way, cause I still do.”

“Fair enough,” Reyna said. She watched Vera stand. Her eyes moved to look back at the bandage on her forearm. “Vera, I am sorry. I didn't know that was your sister, and I acted on instinct.”

“You killed my sister,” Vera hissed. She turned back towards Reyna and watched her. The Amazon shook her head. “There is nothing you can do to fix that. Nothing.”

Reyna sighed and stared ahead. She rested her head against the seat and slowly closed her eyes. The ache in her ribs wasn't as bad, but she still couldn't grip her fist. It was like one injury had been replaced by another. Reyna shifted and sighed again.

“Sister,” a voice said. Reyna stiffened, and she slowly opened her eyes. It was surprising to see a tray of food. Hylla sat the tray of food down and spoke, “Hungry?”

Reyna looked away and didn't answer. She couldn't admit that there was a gnawing feeling in her stomach. It would admit weakness, and she couldn't do that in front of her sister. Reyna glanced at the food and looked away again. She finally spoke, “Yeah.”

Hylla sat by her and passed her a fork. Hylla spoke, “A few of the Amazons were worried about me giving you a real fork. They insisted that I give you a plastic one. I'm sure I don't really have to worry about you stabbing anyone with that, right?”

“I only want to stab two people with it,” Reyna muttered. She glanced down at her handcuffs and slowly started to eat. Reyna sighed almost sadly. This wasn't how things were suppose to be. She wasn't suppose to be on the opposite side of her sister. “Why does Circe even want me?”

“I know that you think she is evil, but Circe has only been trying to help me,” Hylla began. She looked at Reyna. “She told me that I couldn't let you find the shield. You would die if you found it. Reyna, I can't let that happen to you. I have to protect you.”

“Do you really believe her?” Reyna snapped. She turned towards Hylla and glared. “She lied to her attendants all the time on her island! Why would you even think to believe her? She is just using you for her gain. Hylla, all you have to do is remember our time on her island.”

“When Circe told me about what will happen, she swore on the River Styx that what she was saying was true. Circe is telling the truth,” Hylla insisted. “I don't want my little sister to be upset with me, but it's a preferable alternative to you being dead.”

To keep from yelling, Reyna took a deep breath. She looked down at her bandaged forearm and spoke, “Why are you just going to allow Mars to start a war? I know the shield is somewhere with Circe.”

“Reyna, what are you talking about?” Hylla questioned. “You know that she doesn't have it, and you have no proof that she has even been thinking about it. Annabeth and Piper are very capable of finding the shield on their own. You can't be there.”

“Why not? Reyna asked. She took another deep breath and regretted it as her ribs ached. Her voice was starting to raise, but she didn't want to alert anyone else on the plane. It would only make it harder to think of some kind of escape plan.

“Something huge is going to happen. Circe has been preparing for this event for months, and it seems to scare her,” Hylla began. “She knows that someone or something is going to attack the Olympians. If they think you are a threat, they will kill you. If you retrieve the shield Reyna, you look like a threat.”

“So, Annabeth and Piper will look like threats when they find the shield, but you don't care about them, do you?” Reyna questioned. She looked at her sister. Hylla held no love for Greeks, but she had a friendship with Piper and Annabeth. This person next to Reyna couldn't be her older sister.

“They're not my little sister,” Hylla said. She gently touched Reyna's shoulder. Her hand moved to Reyna's face, and she gently placed a thumb to the scar on Reyna's eyebrow. It was one that Reyna had received from rogue Amazons. “I know you would sacrifice yourself in an instant to save the world, and that is your fatal flaw.”

“It's not a fatal flaw,” Reyna snapped. She shoved her sister's hand away. “It's something that all Romans learn. No person is bigger than the legion. If you have to sacrifice yourself for the legion, you will do that. If I have to sacrifice my one life to save many, I will.”

Reyna looked down at her bandaged forearm. Her eyes moved to her hand, and she slowly tried to clench her fist. After a few moments of struggling, her fist refused to fully close. Hylla grabbed her hand and helped her make a fist.

“We gave you some ambrosia and nectar. You lost a lot of blood, but you look a lot better,” Hylla commented. “Think about what I said. I know you hate Circe, but you have to think with your head instead of your heart. That is something you excel at.”

“When did you start talking to Circe?” Reyna muttered. She looked away from her sister and tried to look out the window. They were definitely in the air. Was Circe just showing off by taking her own private plane to their destination?

“Circe approached me before your birthday. I ignored her, until the rogue Amazons attacked you. I realized that I needed some help, so I got in contact with Circe,” Hylla answered. She looked up and turned around. Hylla seemed to nod. “Speaking of Circe, she wants to talk to you.”

“And?” Reyna asked. She hissed as Hylla pulled her to her feet. Reyna tried to pull away, but her sister had an iron grip. The Amazon dragged her towards a door. The door opened, and Circe smiled at both of them.

“It is a pleasure to see you, Reyna. We have much to discuss,” Circe said. Reyna glanced at her sister before slowly stepping into the private cabin. Hylla left the two alone, closing the door behind her. Reyna slowly looked at Circe, who immediately grabbed her by her shirt and shoved her into a chair.

There wasn't much Reyna could do besides hiss in pain. She glanced around the cabin. There was a table next to her along with a few chairs. A few bottles of wine were to Circe's right. Reyna's sword was laying in the corner of the room.

Circe poured herself a glass of wine. She offered a glass to Reyna. Silence passed between the two of them for a few moments. Reyna watched Circe and tried to control her anger. The witch smiled at her, but there was something cold and dangerous in her eyes.

“We should get one thing straight,” Circe began. She sat the glass down and suddenly grabbed Reyna's face. She slammed her head into the table and gripped her face. Reyna grabbed Circe's arm and tried to force it away. “Your sister and Thalia are nothing more than puppets to me. Something larger than any of us is going down Reyna. There are only a few people who know what is happening, but they will soon be dealt with.”

“Why are you wasting your time with me then? I don't anything about this event that is suppose to happen.” Reyna hissed. She gave up on trying to shove Circe's arm away and just focused on glaring at her. “Why do you want me here? Why go through all of this?”

“Hylla told me that you opened that very special box,” Circe answered. “That box held a piece of Kronos' blade. I helped track down a few pieces myself. The cycle must continue. Is that understood?”

“Cycle?” Reyna asked. She was completely confused. The soothsayer had been talking about some kind of cycle, but Reyna didn't know what that meant. Everything was so confusing. Circe's hand let go of her face and moved to the vial around her neck.

“I do not know how you got this, but it does not belong to you,” Circe whispered. Her voice had charmspeak in it. Reyna closed her eyes tightly and dug her elbow into her ribs. The pain gave her something to focus on. “Why don't you tell me where you got it, praetor?”

“You can try to fight it, but resistance is futile. I easily overpowered the charmspeak that the daughter of Aphrodite was attempting to use, until your sister came back into the clearing. I have made a spell that has Hylla and Thalia completely wrapped around my fingers. A brute like you would not understand, but you should know that they are always under my power,” Circe continued. Her voice was a whisper.

“It sounds like you're expending too much power trying to keep the two of them under your control,” Reyna commented. “That would be the only reason that your charmspeak broke when Hylla came back into the clearing. So, what is your plan?”

“To do whatever I want,” Circe said. She turned her back to Reyna and poured herself another glass of wine. “I don't understand why mortals drink this. They waste away their bodies and lessen the amount of time they have left in their pitiful lives. Do you know what I am going to do with you, for the rest of your pitiful life?”

“It doesn't matter,” Reyna said. She studied Circe and shifted. Circe studied the glass as if she was contemplating what it was. She sat the glass down and sighed. Reyna shifted again, and her eyes moved towards her sword. It would be a painful lunge, but she could do it. “Why steal the shield?”

“It is my gambit,” Circe answered. Reyna watched her for a moment and went to lung for her sword. A hand grabbed her by her jacket and slammed her into the table. Flames appeared in Circe's hand, only inches away from Reyna's face. “It is a distraction, and I would dare say it is working to perfection. You should be focused on the present, demigod. If you keep playing with fire, you are going to get burned.”

“Stop,” a voice ordered. Reyna let out an involuntary breath as the flames disappeared, and Circe pulled her hand away. The grip on Reyna's jacket tightened, and she was slammed back into her chair. Her eyes slowly moved to look up at the person who had stopped Circe. Green eyes swept over her like she was nothing, before they moved to Circe.

“Rhea, I was not expecting you. I thought you were busy,” Circe said. She nodded her own greeting before glancing back at Reyna. “I was just dealing with this demigod here. She is a disrespectful, little worm, but she shouldn't be a threat.”

“So, this is the demigod that stole the vial from me,” Rhea commented. Reyna looked at Rhea, but she didn't change her facial expression. Rhea had given the via to Reyna and made her promise to protect it. What was really going on? “May I have a few moments alone with her?”

“Of course,” Circe said. She looked at Reyna and smiled evilly. Circe stepped out of the room and locked the door. Rhea waited for a few moments and then walked to Reyna's side.

“We have much to discuss,” Rhea whispered. She looked around one more time and placed a hand to Reyna's shoulder. Some of the pain in her ribs melted away at the touch. “There is not much time, Reyna. You have to trust me.”


	22. The Acts of Desperate Men

Reyna shifted in her seat and slowly looked at Rhea. As the pain subsided, she allowed herself to examine her situation. Rhea was standing in front of the door, but it wasn't in a threatening way. She was just standing there. Why would she be with Circe though?

“Why are you working with Circe?” Reyna questioned. She tried to stand. Pain shot through her ribs, and she was forced to stay sitting. Reyna leaned back slightly and watched Rhea. There was no reading the Titaness' face.

“You should not be so quick to jump to conclusions,” Rhea commented. “You want to have your friends close and your enemies even closer. They must be held at arms reach, so you can quickly react to their actions. That is not my concern now though. Can you make a fist with your right hand?”

“No,” Reyna answered, after a moment of silence. She slowly raised her hand and tried to make a fist. Her muscles refused to respond, and the only thing she could do was move her fingers, which sent small spikes of pain through her arm. Reyna could hold a sword with her left hand, but she was nowhere as skilled.

“How did this happen?” Rhea questioned. She gently grabbed Reyna's hand and examined the bandage. Reyna quickly told her about the meeting with the soothsayer. Rhea's face showed no emotion the entire time, but her eyes seemed to grow sadder with every word.

“I don't know what the soothsayer meant,” Reyna began. “It freaks me out just to think about the words. Circe said it was because I was learning my fate, but it doesn't make sense to me. This prophecy with the Fates and the meeting with the soothsayer is wrong. There should be a prophecy from the books or an oracle.”

“Calm,” Rhea said. She moved her hand from Reyna's arm to her face. “Calm down. Circe helped manipulate the rogue Amazons into attacking you, but I suspect she was not alone in the act. Her end goal was realized though. Your sister felt insecure about the Amazons weakened position. The attack with more intentions than death was my fault. I needed to get you alone, and drakons were the best way.”

“The party was obviously mine, but I have know clue what the dark shadow was,” Reyna said. She shifted again and tried to remember the day. Between the concussion and everything that had happened, she didn't remember much of the party. Her thoughts flipped back to the other line. If Rhea was working with them, why would the attack even have death as one of the intentions?

“If I am correct about the gauntlet being thrown down, you will be the one to do it,” Rhea commented. Reyna opened her mouth, but Rhea held up a hand. “I cannot tell you anything more, nor can I share my suspicious. The future is for us to learn when it happens, not before. All I can tell you is that it is the third betrayer.”

Reyna's eyes flickered up. She knew that she wouldn't get anymore answers. Who would the third betrayer be though? There was no way it could be Annabeth or Piper. It had to be a demititan. Her best guess was Alex. The demititan had been suspicious from the start.

“Rhea, no one is giving me a straight answer about anything. My own sister stabbed me in the back and broke a few ribs along the way. Circe is stringing me along because she hates me so much. That soothsayer spoke in riddles. I just want some kind of straight answer!” Reyna snapped

“The wrath of the sky,” Rhea answered. Reyna opened her mouth but slowly closed it. There was a scared look in Rhea's eyes. Rhea walked past Reyna and sat in an empty chair. “I am unsure if you want to know what that means. You may lose your nerve.”

“I won't,” Reyna promised. She shifted again and placed a hand to her ribs. The pain was coming back and making it harder to focus. Rhea grabbed her arm, and the pain faded away again. “Tell me about the wrath of the sky. What is it?”

“You know the origins of the world. Gaea and Ouranos rose from the chaos to become the first rulers of the world. It seemed like they would rule forever, but Ouranos was a cruel father. He feared the power of his children, so he cast them into Tartarus,” Rhea began. Her eyes moved around the room, and she moved closer to Reyna.

“Those actions appalled Gaea, and she found it to be a sin that could not be forgiven. When Gaea had the Titans, she knew she had to protect us from Ouranos' wrath. This is the point where my husband enters the picture. Gaea knew that he was the only one who could put an end to her husband's reign of terror,” Rhea continued. Her voice had started to turn into a whisper.

“Gaea forged a weapon for Kronos, and he used it to destroy Ouranos and cast him down into Tartarus, but it was his only soul that went there. Ouranos was cut into multiple piece and cast around the world. It was believed that he would never come back. Kronos grew paranoid, just like his father. He swallowed all of our children, except Zeus.”

“Zeus made sure that Kronos shared his father's fate. It was the cycle that the soothsayer spoke of. The ruler of the sky falls and is cut into pieces. When death was chained, something very powerful stirred in Tartarus. No one wanted to believe that it was Ouranos. We thought it was only Gaea,” Rhea finished.

“Only,” Reyna said. She leaned back and saw Rhea staring into her eyes. Reyna shook her head and looked out the window. Her eyes focused on the sky, and she shook her head again.

“Only,” Rhea repeated. “Do you know of Atlas' curse? He had been condemned to hold up the sky for all of eternity. This is for two reasons. The sky yearns to once again touch the earth, and it will do anything in its power to do that. The second is that Zeus nor anyone else is powerful enough to take on the duties that once fell onto Ouranos. Someone must help him shared that burden.”

“When we realized that Gaea was rising, we never thought that Ouranos would follow. We should have known though. He wants to be with his wife again. It would take months for him to rise, even after Gaea did. She would have done everything in her power to raise him faster. When she was put back to sleep, he was trying to raise for two. His mission turned from love to vengeance,” Rhea explained.

“The stories say that Ouranos would never be able to rise again. How can he come back?” Reyna asked. She shifted again and looked back at Rhea. It took her a moment to take a deep breath and lean back in her chair.

“I do not know how he plans to accomplish it. The one thing that I do know is that you are his number one target,” Rhea said. Reyna looked up and felt her mouth fall open in shock. It took her a moments to close it. “He knows how powerful you are.”

“I'm not,” Reyna argued. “I only delivered the statue to Camp Half-Blood. I don't have charmspeak like Piper or the knowledge of Annabeth. Both Percy and Jason have more powers than me. Why would Ouranos want to target me?”

Rhea smiled sadly and spoke, “You killed a giant without a god or goddess physically being there. You are the first Roman to win the respect of a Greek deity, and you also received a gift from one. It is even more impressive when you consider that the Olympian was Athena, and she hates most Romans. You were named horse friend. I could go on, Reyna.”

“You should know that Circe is scared of you,” Rhea continued. Reyna slowly looked up. “Circe has been given knowledge, but it is not complete. She holds bits and pieces that do not show her the full picture, but it is enough to scare her.”

“Is that why she is using my sister?” Reyna questioned. Why would Circe be scared of her? Reyna's eyes moved to look at the closed door. “How does she have Hylla wrapped around her finger? What happened at the park wasn't natural.”

“I truthfully do not know much about the spell, but it is a complicated one. Hylla and Thalia are in control of their own minds, until they are in the presence of Circe. Then, they are under the control of her charmspeak. She does not have to speak to convince them to fall back under. They just do,” Rhea explained. “It must cost Circe an enormous amount of energy.”

“Where is the shield?” Reyna asked. She closed her eyes and tried to forget about Hylla. There was a mission to focus on, so she had to focus on it. “My gut tells me that Circe has it. Fate always has a way of pushing demigods towards their goal.”

“Ouranos wants to rise, and I believe there is no stopping that. The Olympians, if they were all working together, could hinder the progress and make it very hard for Ouranos to return to full strength. With the shield missing, they are divided, and a war started by Ares will only make that division worse. Ouranos will rise unhindered, and predictions say he will do so a day or two after the deadline,” Rhea said. “As for the shield's location, you must find out yourself.”

Reyna stared at the table in front of her. The only thing standing between the rising of Ouranos and the destruction of the world was three demigods, and Reyna was one of them. She needed to talk to Annabeth and Piper. Reyna glanced at the table and saw a few drachamas spread about. She tried to grab one but couldn't even move her fingers.

Reyna tried to move her fingers again and make a fist. Nothing happened, other than pain in her hand and wrist. Reyna spoke, “Can you do anything for my hand?”

Rhea gently grabbed her hand and examined the wound. She helped Reyna clench her fist, but the look on her face wasn't reassuring. Rhea spoke, “No. I don't even think Apollo himself could heal it. An old weapon did this, and it was for a purpose. I cannot tell you what though.”

“Circe will try to use your sister against you, and if that does not work, she will turn to charmspeak,” Rhea said. She gently placed something into Reyna's hand. Reyna looked down at it and saw a ring. “This will allow you to resist charmspeak, but it comes with a price. Wearing this ring marks you as my champion, for better or worse. Your mother will not be pleased.”

Reyna looked down at the ring. She needed to be able to resist charmspeak, and her mother would understand that Reyna had her reasons. Reyna slowly put the ring on her finger and nodded. The rewards outweighed the risk. Rhea watched her closely and nodded.

“You told me to keep this vial close,” Reyna said. She glanced at the vial. Circe had known about it. “What is it? What is it used for. I know that you wouldn't just give me something to carry around as a trophy.”

Before Rhea could answer, the handle on the door turned. Reyna turned her head and suddenly found herself on the ground with a stinging pain in her face. For a split second, Rhea gave Reyna an apologetic look, and the door opened. Hylla stepped into the room.

“Circe wants to see my sister,” Hylla said. She walked towards Reyna and gently helped her stand. Reyna kept one hand to her face, still in shock from the slap. A bruise was starting to form. “And, Circe wanted to talk to you about our plans after we land. Let's go, Reyna.”

Reyna didn't fight as she was led out. Her sister thought that she was an equal to Circe, but she was really just a pawn. Circe was using Hylla for her Amazons and probably thought she could control Reyna the same way. She had to show that her sister wasn't going to stop her from doing anything.

The two of them walked towards Circe, and the witch smiled at Reyna. Circe grabbed Reyna's face and examined the bruise on it. The witch spoke, “I see that Rhea did not find your mouth entertaining. You are just a disrespectful child. If it wasn't for your sister, I would lock you in a room with that Amazon who hates you and allow her to take out some anger on you.”

Reyna felt an idea form, and she looked at Hylla. Her sister had a knife strapped to her belt, and she was looking at Reyna in concern. If Circe thought that Hylla would no longer work as leverage, would she release Hylla from the charmspeak? Would she lessen the powers of the spell?

Before Reyna could really process what she was doing, she grabbed her sister's knife. Hylla went to grab Reyna's wrist, but she wasn't fast enough to stop Reyna from stabbing her in the stomach. It took Reyna a moment to pull the knife out and shove her sister away. She turned towards Circe swinging the knife.

Circe caught the knife and stared at Reyna. The surprise was clear in her eyes. Reyna smirked but felt someone grab her by her shoulder and turn her around. Her sister's fist slammed into her stomach, and Reyna collapsed to her knees. She gasped for breath and felt a foot slam into her ribs. The force of the kick slammed Reyna into the ground, and she started coughing miserably.

“What are you doing?” Hylla snapped. She grabbed Reyna by her shirt and glared down at her. For a moment, confusion flashed in her eyes. Hylla looked around, but Circe grabbed her shoulder.

“Calm down,” Circe said. She tightened her grip on Hylla's shoulder and looked down at Reyna. “You are a disrespectful little worm, and you will pay for your disrespect.”

“I don't care about what you or Hylla are going to do to me,” Reyna said. She looked at her sister. “You can go ahead and keep playing with Circe. I don't care. I have to find the shield and prevent a war. I will do that, despite you two.”

Circe whispered in Hylla's ear, and a dreamy look started to enter Hylla's eyes. Reyna felt her sister let go of her and watched her stand. Before Reyna could sit back up, a foot slammed into her face. She placed both hands to her bloody and probably broken nose.

“Reyna does not care about you,” Circe said. Understanding flashed in her eyes, and she glared down at Reyna. Circe stepped away and crossed her arms. “Hylla, I think your sister needs a lesson in respect.”

Another foot slammed into her ribs. Reyna was left wheezing and trying to breath. She tried to stand, but a knee slammed into her sternum. Reyna felt her sister grab her by her shirt and raise her fist. When the two made eye contact, Hylla lowered her hand. She seemed to realize what she had done and was about to do.

“Have someone take care of that wound,” Circe ordered. She moved Hylla backwards and led her out of sight. Reyna took the free time to stop coughing and catch her breathing. She curled up on her side and buried her face into the ground.

After a minute of slow breathing, Reyna was able to roll onto her back. She sat up using her elbows and placed a hand to her ribs. Circe walked back towards her, followed by Rhea. The two seemed to be having an argument.

“You always ruin everything,” Circe said. She grabbed Reyna by her shirt and pulled her to her feet. “You are going to do exactly what I tell you, or you will wish that I put you out of your misery earlier.”

“Are you mad that you can't use my sister for a bargaining chip?” Reyna asked. She smirked and looked at Circe. “I don't care if you hurt Hylla. She was dead to me the second that she decided to work with you. And, you can hurt me all you want. It just gives Annabeth and Piper more time to find the shield.”

Circe snapped something in Greek, and Reyna felt two Amazons slam her to the ground. The breath was knocked out of her again, and her hands were tied behind her back. The two Amazons roughly pulled Reyna to her feet.

“Give the girl her sword,” Rhea said. She looked at Reyna and examined her. “It will make the story more convincing when we hand her over and claim we saw her with the shield. Throw her in the cabin and make sure she can't get to her feet.”

Reyna looked at Rhea and knew she was in for a world of hurt. She also knew that she needed to play her part, and Rhea would help her however she could. The two Amazons walked Reyna towards the cabin and shoved her inside. She tried to stand but was kicked in the ribs. She collapsed and closed her eyes tightly.

The two Amazons would do Circe's bidding. After they left, Reyna would have to find some kind of way to send a message to Annabeth and Piper. They needed to know where they were going and what they were trying to stop. The world depended on it.


	23. The Lies of Honest Men

As Annabeth stared at the Iris message, she had a large smile on her face, despite everything that had happened. Percy looked back at her with a grin. It was the grin that Annabeth loved, but there was sadness behind it. The two hated being apart, which was why they had spent about a hour talking about the quest.

“I miss you,” Annabeth said. She looked her boyfriend in the eyes and smiled again. Percy smiled back. For a few moments, they were lost in their own little world. The quest didn't exist, and they were just able to relax. Annabeth snapped back to reality and focused on the world in front of her.

“I miss you more,” Percy commented. He looked around his cabin and sighed. “Tomorrow can't come soon enough, despite the fact that you guys haven't found the shield. You'll still find it and be back for dinner. Have you heard anything from Reyna?”

“No,” Annabeth answered. She looked away and took a deep breath. “Reyna knows what she is doing, and I know she can find her way out of anything. I still feel terrible though. I wish there had been a better way.”

“From what you told me, there wasn't a better way,” Percy said. He smiled at her but quickly grew serious. “Just remember that Thalia is under the effects of charmspeak. She wouldn't be doing any of those things if she wasn't. Keep that in mind.”

“I will,” Annabeth promised. “I just hope our demititan friends can understand that as well. Piper and I arrived here last night and have been trying to find where the shield is. Thorn, one of the demititans, contacted us and said they were on the way. I don't know whether to trust them or not.”

“Thorn sounds like a solid guy. I think he has the best interest of the demititans in mind, and that works out for us,” Percy commented. “He knows the Olympians would crush them, so he is playing nice. I would watch out for the Prometheus kid. She doesn't sound trustworthy.”

“We can agree on that,” Annabeth said. She sat down on the hotel bed and sighed. “How are things there. Are the children of Ares controlling themselves?”

“No,” Percy answered. “They're all locked away in their cabin and threatening anyone who gets too close. It would be comical, if Clarisse didn't tell me about dreams they've been having. Apparently, their father has been telling them just to start the war now. Aphrodite kids are having the same dream.”

“If Piper is having that dream, she didn't tell me about it,” Annabeth commented. She heard a knock on the door and stood. “The demititans are probably here. I have to go Percy. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Percy said. He smiled and ended the Iris message. Piper stepped into the room and looked at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena smiled and walked towards her. She thought about asking Piper if she was having the dream, but they had something else they needed to focus on.

“How are things?” Piper asked. Annabeth followed her out into the hallway and towards the elevator. They were both well rested and ready for the day ahead of them. Piper's arm was out of the sling, but she still had limited mobility.

“Percy said it's not going too well, but the children of Ares and Aphrodite are being kept separate. We just need to find the shield and return it,” Annabeth answered. They stepped into the elevator and waited for the doors to close. The ride down was in silence.

When they made it into the lobby, Annabeth found herself looking around at the four demititan leaders. Sarah was lounging around on a couch and was humming to herself, despite the annoyed look on her face. Alex and Thorn were standing near a map and seemed to be planning out an attack. Oliver stood in a corner by himself.

“I owe you two a big thank you,” Sarah said, as she saw Annabeth and Piper. She tried to sit up but was given a sharp look by Alex. Sarah rolled her eyes and laid back down. “You two saved my life, and we'll get Reyna back too. I owe the three of you.”

“Half of the army is here,” Alex interrupted. She stepped away from the map and looked at Annabeth. Her eyes lingered for a long moment. Alex walked towards Sarah and sat on the couch arm. “We'll have to make do with what we have, but a direct assault wouldn't be wise.”

“Good morning,” Thorn said to Annabeth and Piper. He shot Alex a look. “The other half of our army will not be here till tomorrow morning. We have a few scouting, but there is a lot of information that we're missing. We're walking into this blind.”

“It's not like anyone expects us, so we have the element of surprise,” Sarah commented. Annabeth didn't miss the way Alex looked up, and something dangerous gleamed in her eyes. Annabeth watched for a moment before hearing Thorn walk towards them.

“We really have no clue where we are suppose to go, and there isn't enough time to scout it out. Do you two know anything that can help us?” Thorn questioned. Annabeth looked at him and met his eyes. The two had spent some time discussing if Alex could really betray the demititans and when she would do it. Their best guess was within the next day. “We need to find the building that the supplies are going to.”

“Building is the wrong direction,” a voice said. Annabeth quickly turned and stared at the Iris message. She met Reyna's eyes and stared at her. Reyna's nose seemed to be pretty badly broken, and blood was trickling from her mouth. “According to Vera, the shield is in my mother's temple.”

“It's the best way to frame Bellona,” Vera commented. She was standing to Reyna's right and examining her bloody knuckles. “If the Olympians were to find the shield in Bellona's temple, they would think she did still it, especially if her youngest daughter disappeared during the quest and was found near the shield.”

Annabeth stared at them and looked at Reyna. The daughter of Bellona was clearly in pain, and her hands seemed to be tied behind her back. Reyna looked at the demititans and seemed to be watching them closely. Her eyes were trying to tell Annabeth something, but the daughter of Athena couldn't tell what it was.

“The temple is near Death Valley,” Reyna said. She spat blood out and winced. “Circe is taking me there, so that is where the shield has to be. We have to get the shield. It is our priority.”

“Reyna, you're important too,” Annabeth said. The praetor met her eyes. “We're going to help you and then find the shield. How are we going to get into the temple? There will probably be Amazons and Hunters guarding it.”

“We can provide the distraction,” Thorn said. His eyes moved towards Alex. “We should talk about this later. Will we be able to get in contact with you again?”

“No,” Vera interrupted. She glanced at her watch. “Circe thinks I am beating the life out of the defenseless praetor, and she will be back soon. Get to the temple in Death Valley. The coordinates are in that tablet you took. It's under the name Skyline.”

“Stay safe,” Reyna said. Annabeth nodded, and the Iris message ended. Annabeth looked at the ground and couldn't get rid of the sick feeling in her gut. They had to get to temple, as soon as they could. Alex cleared her throat and stood.

“We have an actual destination,” Alex commented. She glanced at Sarah and smiled. The smile disappeared as she looked at the others. “I can go ahead and let our army know. It shouldn't take long to get moving and head out.”

“No,” Thorn said. He crossed his arms and glared at Alex. “There is something that we need to talk about. All of us need to talk about it. We have a traitor in our midst.”

“Wait,” Sarah said. She painfully sat up and placed a hand to her chest. It took the demititan another moment to stand. Her eyes moved around the room focusing on everyone for a few moments. “What do you mean that there's a traitor?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Alex look up. Alex's eyes moved to Oliver before looking at Thorn. Then, she looked at Annabeth. The two met eyes for a long moment. Oliver cleared his throat and spoke, “Are we getting this out of the way now?”

Thorn nodded and turned towards Alex. It was clear from the look in Alex's eyes that she understood exactly what was happening. Alex spoke, “You two are insane if you think I would do anything to betray the demititans.”

“Then, I assume that you can explain all the letters that you have been sending,” Thorn snapped. He grabbed a binder and threw it towards Alex. The demititan caught the binder and examined it. Thorn shoved Alex into the couch a moment later. “There are reports to Rhea, which look like simple updates, but you sent full troop movements to the Hunters of Artemis! Can you explain the multiple visits to Atlas?”

“Yes,” Alex began. She tried to stand, but Thorn shoved a sword under her chin. Alex glanced down at the blade and glared up at Thorn. “I can explain everything, if you back off.”

“How can you explain betraying your family?” Oliver asked. He walked towards them. “I know you're a psychopath, but I thought that you had just a little bit of human emotion in there. I found a letter from the queen of the Amazons hidden with your armor. Why?”

“There was never a letter,” Alex began. Oliver shook his head and pulled out a crumpled up letter. He passed it to Thorn who read over it and then cut slightly into Alex's neck. Sarah glanced at the letter and looked away. “I didn't get anything from anyone.”

“I wish we could kill you now,” Thorn hissed. He gripped his sword and took a deep breath. “Since we are at war, demititan law states that we can forgo an actual trial and just vote on our decision. The trial will happen after the war. I vote that we exile Alex.”

“I concur,” Oliver said, without hesitation. He looked at the ground and hid his face. Annabeth glanced at Piper. They both knew it needed to be done, but it still felt like they were watching in on something that should have been private. “Sarah will our deciding vote.”

Alex slowly looked at Sarah. There was no fear in her eyes, and Annabeth realized that Oliver's psychopath comment was probably more than just a taunt. Sarah looked at the binder full of letters, and she turned away. Sarah spoke in a whisper, “I concur.”

“Sarah, you have to believe me,” Alex said. There was shock in her voice but none on her face. Thorn removed his sword and pulled Alex to her feet. Alex didn't fight him. “Sarah, you know that I wouldn't do anything to betray you.”

“I don't know that,” Sarah said. Alex stared at Sarah, and she didn't fight as Thorn dragged her towards the door. Alex finally shoved Thorn away and looked towards Annabeth. The daughter of Athena met the demititan's eyes.

“Annabeth, you're the wisest one here,” Alex began. “You have to tell them that they are wrong. I wouldn't betray the demititans. I am many things, but I would never be a traitor.”

Annabeth could tell that Alex was getting desperate, since she was almost begging a demigod to proclaim her innocence. This wasn't even something Annabeth and Piper should have been apart of, but it was a necessary thing to do. Annabeth spoke, “From the short time that I've known you, the last thing I can do is trust you.”

Alex stared at her, and she slowly looked around. Understanding dawned in her eyes, and she nodded. Alex spoke, “Fine. If you think I am a traitor, I will leave. When it bites all of you in the ass and gets you killed, I'll be there to spit in the ashes.”

Alex stormed out of the room shoving past Thorn. Along the way, she threw her sword to the side. Alex stepped out of the hotel and slammed the door shut. Thorn crossed his arms and spoke, “I'm sorry you to had to see that, but we should focus on finding the shield.”

“We should probably leave soon,” Piper said. She glanced at Annabeth. “We'll get our stuff ready and meet you guys outside in a few minutes.”

Thorn nodded and walked out of the hotel. Oliver followed a few moments later. That left Sarah alone with the two demigods. Sarah looked at them and sat against the nearest wall. She stared ahead and didn't say another word.

Annabeth looked at Piper again. Piper shared a nod with her, and the two walked towards their room. The only thing Annabeth could do was hope that they wouldn't regret the decision that they had made.


	24. The Divine

Piper didn't know how long they had been marching for, but it was more than just a few hours. When she saw the temple of Bellona in the distance, it made everything feel worth it. There was a fog in the air that obscured anyone who was on the ground, but there was no mistaking the temple, even if it was a mile away. Piper glanced at the demititan leaders.

Thorn and Oliver stood at the front of the line and were talking to each other in hushed whispers. Sarah trailed behind them and was staring at the ground. She hadn't said a word since the hotel. Piper glanced at Annabeth, who was looking around and seemed to be formulating her own plan.

“As soon as we see a Hunter or Amazon, we will attack,” Thorn said. He slowed his pace to meet up with the demigods. “Between the fog and chaos of battle, you two should be able to sneak into the temple.”

“We can't follow Alex's plan for the battle,” Oliver added. He looked at Thorn. “We can form a new plan now, or we can just use one of our own plans. Since Alex is the traitor, she will tell the Circe exactly what we are going to do. We must make a new plan, now.”

“You don't even know Alex's plan,” Sarah muttered. She didn't look at them, and the heartbreak in her voice was clear. “Alex wouldn't expect us to follow her plan, Besides, you've never cared about our battle plans before. You haven't marched into battle before so shut up and do what we tell you.”

“Just because your psychopath girlfriend is a traitor,” Oliver began. Sarah cursed at him in another language and increased her pace. Piper fell back a few steps and looked at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena moved closer to Piper.

“The demititans seem like normal teenagers,” Annabeth commented. She cleared her throat and looked around. “Some of them attend school and keep an eye out for demigods. They send them to Camp Half-Blood or to Lupa if they find them.”

Piper nodded to show that she understood. Annabeth took a deep breath and spoke, “We are going into the temple alone, and we need a plan.”

“Finding Reyna is our number one priority,” Piper said. Annabeth nodded her agreement. “I don't know what to do about Circe though. There is nothing I can do to counter Circe's charmspeak. She's too powerful.”

“No one expects you to,” Annabeth said. She smiled at Piper. “Circe has had all the time in the world to practice. You saw that even Reyna couldn't fight it. It's powerful, poisonous, and hard to ignore. All we can do is avoid Circe.”

Piper nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but she heard Thorn yell a command. Ten demititans near the front of the line pulled out bows. They aimed and fired within two seconds. The arrows were intercepted out of the air by arrows that had to belong to the Hunters of Artemis.

Thorn yelled another command, and the rest of the army charged forward. Both Piper and Annabeth stepped back and allowed the two armies to clash. Oliver turned to face them. He had not charged forward.

“I was talking to Thorn, and he thinks that I should accompany the two of you into the temple. I don't really like violence, and I figure I could help Reyna with her injuries,” Oliver said. Piper glanced at Annabeth, who nodded.

“The more the merrier,” Piper commented. Annabeth nodded to them and put on her hat. Piper blinked, and her friend had disappeared from sight. Oliver stared in shock, but he followed Piper around the edge of the army. It seemed like Amazons and Hunters were all distracted by the demititan army, and it was hard to tell who was winning.

It took them only a minute to edge around the army and practically take off running towards the front door. Piper was amazed that no one had saw them. When she looked at the two Amazons guarding the front door, she was surprised to see Vera. The other Amazon took a step forward. Vera grabbed the Amazon and slammed their head into the wall.

“Hurry,” Vera said. She shoved the Amazon to the ground and looked up at Piper. Everything seemed all too easy. Piper nodded to Vera and walked towards the large door. With Oliver's help, they were able to open the door and step inside.

The first thing Piper did was stare up at the ceiling that was thirty feet above them. Her eyes moved from the roof to a twenty foot tall statue of Bellona. The statue held a sword and torch. If Piper looked closely, she could almost see some of Reyna's features in the statue.

Her eyes swept around the pillars that were placed every five feet. The pillars held pictures of battles on it. Piper turned towards the other side of the temple and saw a throne that almost looked Greek in design. Ares' shield was sitting upon the throne.

“We just need to find Reyna and get out of here,” Annabeth said. She took off her hat and walked a few feet forward. Piper took another step forward and looked around the temple. Since the room was so large, the small amount of torches made it hard to see well.

“It can't be this easy,” Piper commented. Her eyes stayed focused on the shield. It was right there in the open and ready for the taking. Did Circe not expect anyone to be there? Would it be possible for one of them to grab the shield and take it to Olympus, while the other looked for Reyna? Piper felt cold steel touch her throat, and she froze.

“It isn't,” Oliver whispered. His breath was hot on Piper's neck, and his voice had taken on a much more sadistic tone. Annabeth turned around and stared at them. When she went to grab her sword, Oliver cut into Piper's neck. It wasn't deep enough to do lasting damage, but it did draw blood.

“You're the traitor,” Annabeth said. She let go of her sword and let her hands rest by her side. Oliver laughed and led Piper a few feet backwards. Piper didn't try to fight.

“Yes,” Oliver said. “I didn't think it would be so easy to get rid of Alex, with Sarah being wrapped around her finger. You two helped out so much though. You allowed the others to see that Alex can't play nicely with anyone. I think it sealed the deal for Thorn.”

“Why?” Piper began. She tensed as the knife cut into her throat again. She was scared to even swallow. Annabeth had taken a step forward, but she raised her hands and took a few steps back. Oliver lifted the knife slightly, and Piper almost let out a deep breath.

“Do not talk,” Oliver snapped. “I know what you can do with that charmspeak. You two are just going to stay here, until Circe brings that daughter of Bellona here. If any of you make one wrong movement, I kill the daughter of Aphrodite.”

“You framed Alex with those letters,” Annabeth said. She gave Piper a reassuring look. Piper understood. It wasn't time to fight, yet. “How long have you been pretending to be friends with the demititans?”

“Ever since I joined,” Oliver answered. He sneered. “The demititans should know not to trust us demigods. It's not like I am completely guilty though. Alex sent every letter that was in the binder. It made it easier to copy her handwriting style for that final nail in her coffin. Did you see how pissed Thorn was when he read it? Even better, can you two imagine how bad it will look when they find that you two were killed by Alex's sword, and the daughter of Bellona is found with Ares' shield?”

Annabeth remained silent. Her eyes seemed to move to the side, but they quickly moved back to Piper. Oliver adjusted the knife again and almost seemed nervous. The knife suddenly fell away, and Piper was released. She stumbled forward and quickly turned away.

Alex shoved Oliver off of her sword and shoved him to the ground. She looked up at them and then looked at the shield. Alex spoke, “Grab it. Return it.”

“Thank you,” Piper began. Alex gave her a piercing glare. It was clear that the demititan was not in a forgiving mood. Annabeth walked towards Piper's side and examined her neck. “We have to find Reyna. We can't leave without her.”

The temple fell silent for a moment, but the silence was broken by clapping. Piper felt her heart drop, and she quickly turned around. Across the temple, she spotted a silhouette on the pillar. There was no mistaking who the silhouette belonged to: Circe.

Circe stepped into the light and shoved Reyna forward. Reyna collapsed to her knees and gasped in pain. She slowly looked up at them before looking back at the ground. Circe stepped away and held her hands out as if waiting. Piper hurried to Reyna's side and knelt by her.

“The shield is a distraction,” Reyna wheezed. She shifted and closed her eyes painfully. Piper examined Reyna. The praetor was still wearing her armor and cloak. Her sword was on her hip. It looked like she had just been dragged in from the park, other than the blood and bruises on her face. “It's a distraction for Ouranos to rise.”

“What?” Annabeth asked. She shared a shocked look with Piper. It took Piper a moment to understand the words. Ouranos was the father of Kronos. How was he going to rise? “Reyna, what are you talking about?”

“I'll explain later,” Reyna wheezed. She groaned as Piper grabbed a dagger and gently cut the rope from her wrists. Reyna slowly moved her hands in front of her and tried to rub her wrist. She could barely move her right hand, and there was a bandage peeking out from her armor.

“It's a shame that creature didn't die in more pain,” Circe commented. Her eyes focused on Oliver. She smirked and looked at Alex. “How do you fit into all of this, demititan? What role are you going to play today?”

“This isn't my fight,” Alex muttered. Her eyes focused on Annabeth for a long moment. Then, she turned away and started to leave the temple. Piper knew they needed all the help they could get, but she didn't think Alex would be willing to provide any.

“You can hate us all you want, but Circe attacked Sarah. She almost killed her, and she will finish the job, if we don't stop her now,” Annabeth said. She took a step towards Alex. “I know that you care about Sarah.”

Alex stopped walking. She turned around and didn't say a word. Alex watched them and seemed to be waiting for what would happen. Circe chuckled as she watched them and spoke, “I thought the demititans were suppose to be allies with the demigods. How is that going?”

“Shut up,” Reyna muttered. She slowly tried to stand. Annabeth and Piper quickly helped her. Circe almost looked amused by everything. The witch seemed content to just watch what was happening. It was clear she was just wasting time.

Loud footsteps echoed throughout the temple. Piper turned her head to look at the owner of the footsteps. Someone walked towards them wearing a full set of armor. They gave off the power of an immortal, but Piper couldn't tell who it was.

“This is a monument to Bellona's sins,” the immortal commented. Piper barely recognized the goddess' voice. She stared at the goddess' red eyes, and she got a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. The goddess removed her helmet and smiled at her.

“Enyo! I wasn't expecting you so soon,” Circe commented. She walked towards Enyo. Annabeth and Piper shared shocked looks. “How did the meeting with Rhea go? We thought that you were going to wait.”

Piper stared at Enyo and couldn't get rid of the feeling of shock. Enyo had been the one that had first accused them of stealing the shield. Why would she be working with Circe? Was she the one who had stolen the shield, or was this all part of Circe's game?

“Are you the one that they are trying to trick, or are you the one who really stole the shield?” Reyna asked. Her voice was weak, and she was barely able to stand on her own. Enyo turned to look at Reyna, and she walked towards her.

“I ordered it,” Enyo taunted. She glared at Reyna. “Your friends are going to die, and we are going to cut out your tongue and present you to the Olympians. Rhea will say she found you with the shield, and all of Olympus will be torn asunder in civil war.”

“And, no one will notice Ouranos return?” Reyna asked. Enyo stepped towards Reyna and balled her fist. Reyna smirked. “I know a lot more than you two think. It's not smart to leave me alone with a couple of Amazons who know more than they should, or was it a Hunter that told me?”

“Enough,” Circe said. She looked around. “The four of you are going to die today. Demititan, you will be spared if you walk away. The three demigods will not be lucky. The real question is who we want to kill first.”

“You two can't hurt us, so you'll have Thalia or Hylla do it,” Annabeth guessed. She glanced at Piper. “Where are they? We haven't seen them since the park.”

“They are leading their armies to victory,” Circe answered. “And, we are all just here. I didn't realize Greeks loved to talk so much, and I didn't realize they loved to waste time.”

Circe was taunting them, and she knew that they were drawing closer to their deadline. There was nothing they could do though. Piper looked at her friends and tried to think of a plan. Reyna was gripping her wrist and glaring at Enyo. Annabeth was looking around the temple.

“I'm surprised that a goddess of war is going to let two demigods do her bidding,” Reyna commented. She looked up at Enyo. “It's not bad enough you let demigods handle it, but one is a Roman. It's no surprise the Romans didn't find you to be a worthy equal of Bellona.”

“You shut your mouth, demigod,” Enyo snapped. She took a step towards Reyna. “I am more of a goddess than your mother could ever hope to be. I am the true god or goddess of war. Everyone else is insignificant when they are compared to me.”

“Then, you would accept my challenge to fight you?” Reyna asked. Piper turned to stare at Reyna, and Enyo laughed at the challenge. “Unless, you're scared of losing to a demigod. How embarrassing would that be?”

“Enyo, you shouldn't let her words get to you,” Circe began. She grabbed Enyo's shoulder, but the goddess pulled away. “She is playing on your pride. Enyo, don't listen to her.”

“You are not in charge,” Enyo snapped. She turned and shoved Circe backwards. Enyo turned back towards Reyna and walked towards her. “Who do you think you are to challenge me? I am a goddess of war!”

“And?” Reyna asked. She smirked and slowly stepped forward. Her pain was clear in her posture. It was almost impossible for Reyna to stand up straight. “I challenge you to a duel, and the prize will be Mars' shield.”

“With broken ribs and a mangled hand, you think you can defeat me?” Enyo demanded. “Fine. Your challenge is accepted, and I will crush you, demigod. When you beg for mercy, the battle will be over, and afterwards, I will end your miserable life.”

“Enyo,” Circe warned. She stepped forward. “You cannot deviate from our plan! Everything is so perfect. Do not throw it away because of one demigod's words.”

“I already accepted the challenge,” Enyo snapped. “And, no one will interfere, not demigod, demititan, or witch. If any of you interfere, I will kill you personally. The fight will continue, until I or the demigod beg for it to end. Is that understood?”

“Reyna, what are you doing?” Annabeth demanded. Reyna looked back at them, and Piper could see fear in her eyes. The praetor took a deep breath, winced, and turned back towards Enyo. “Reyna, think this through.”

“I have to do this,” Reyna said. She slowly grabbed her sword and unsheathed it. Reyna winced from the movement and took a few steps forward. Piper looked back at Annabeth before swallowing painfully. She remembered the prophecy, but that didn't mean she wanted it to be true. Piper closed her eyes and hoped for the best.


	25. The Duel

For the past few days, Reyna had been lost in a world of pain. It was physical pain mixed with the sting of betrayal. Reyna still didn't understand why her sister was working with Circe, but she no longer cared. Her only goal was to defeat Enyo and bring back Mars' shield in time.

Now, Reyna had to figure out how to defeat a goddess of war. Her eyes moved to the statue of her mother. Bellona's statue stared ahead with no emotion. There was a critical expression on the statue's face, and it almost felt too real. The statue held a perfect replica of a Roman sword and a torch that had a black, burning flame. Reyna nodded to the statue.

“Getting a last look at your mother?” Enyo taunted. Reyna turned to look back at the goddess. Enyo had every advantage in the world, but she was too confident. It would be Reyna's job to exploit that. At the moment, she didn't know how to do it though.

Reyna started to move to the left, and she shifted her sword in her hand. It was odd trying to get comfortable with holding a new sword. This one was lighter than her old sword, but somehow, it seemed deadlier. Enyo smirked and move to the left as well, so the two were moving in a circle.

Enyo suddenly shook her head. She turned and walked towards the throne. After a moment, Enyo grabbed Mars' shield and examined it. The goddess spoke, “Witch, I want you to get the Roman a shield. Now.”

“She doesn't need a shield,” Circe protested. Enyo glared and turned on the witch. Circe took a step back and slowly looked around. “She really doesn't need a shield. Just make this battle nice, easy, and bloody.”

“I will not have this victory tainted by the demigod not having a shield,” Enyo snapped. She turned towards Circe once again and glared angrily. After a few moments, Circe glared but walked away. The temple fell silent as the witch walked back towards them and threw the shield at Reyna.

As soon as Reyna caught the shield, Enyo attacked. The goddess brought her sword up and slammed it down. Reyna barely brought the shield up in time. Enyo's sword slammed into the shield, and the impact dented the shield and felt like it practically broke Reyna's hand and wrist.

Reyna stabbed forward, but it was easily deflected. She backed up and tried to get rid of the pained feeling in her shield hand. Enyo gave her no breathing room and pressed the attack. The goddess attacked with lightning speed. Reyna was forced to block everything with the shield and was unable to mount any offense.

It wasn't long before the shield was dented in multiple places. Reyna could barely keep a grip on the shield, and since it was close to being useless, she decided to throw the shield at the goddess. Enyo deflected it easily.

“You play at war,” Enyo commented. She walked towards Reyna with a confident smile. It looked like she was enjoying the battle. Reyna jabbed forward and was parried. Enyo followed it up with almost disarming her.

Reyna growled and didn't allow herself to think. Her battle instincts kicked in, and she attacked relentlessly. Anything she did was blocked with ease. It felt like Enyo was just toying with her. As Enyo blocked everything, Reyna's angry only grew and grew.

Reyna finally swung her sword more wildly than she meant to. Enyo caught Reyna's sword on her shield, and she shoved the praetor away. Reyna stumbled backwards, and it took all of her balance and skill to stay on her feet. Enyo's foot slammed into her chest a moment later.

The force of the kick slammed Reyna into the ground. Reyna bit her tongue and tasted blood. She slowly rolled onto her side and spat a small amount of blood out. Reyna grabbed her sword and slowly got to her knees. Her ribs ached miserably.

“Mother, please,” Reyna whispered. She placed a hand to her ribs and slowly tried to get to her feet. A shield slammed into her face. Reyna fell to the ground and groaned painfully. A cry escaped as Enyo placed a foot onto her ribs.

“You never send a girl to do a warrior's job,” Enyo hissed. She looked at Annabeth and Piper. “You two put your faith in this demigod? Hopefully, you two will see the errors of your way.”

Reyna cried out as Enyo dug a heel into her ribs before finally lifting her foot. The praetor slowly moved backwards and sat up. She placed a hand to her ribs and slowly tried to stand. Enyo smirked and walked towards her swinging her sword. Reyna dove to the side and scrambled to her feet, despite the pain in her chest.

Enyo attacked again. Reyna caught Enyo's sword on hers and disarmed the goddess. They both seemed surprised by what had happened. Reyna tried to attack, and Enyo caught the blow on her gauntlet. She shoved the praetor backwards.

“Roman, why are you pushing yourself so hard?” Enyo wondered. She made no attempt to grab her sword and just stood there. Reyna watched her and looked for an opening. “Are you trying to make up for your past sins? Is this your absolution? Did you even tell your friends about your committing patricide?”

Reyna froze in place, and it felt like her blood turned to ice. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Annabeth's eyes widen, and Piper's mouth opened slightly. They seemed to be in shock. Reyna slowly moved her eyes back to Enyo, and a shield slammed right into her face.

The force of the hit caused Reyna to spin around and fall to her knees. She spat out blood again and saw a shadow towering over her. Reyna quickly turned and blocked Mars' shield with her sword. The shield stopped a few inches from her face.

“Your sister told us so much about your past,” Enyo whispered. “You killed your father. That is the most sinful thing a Roman can do, and your sister just told it to us. She doesn't love you, praetor.”

Enyo backed away and laughed. Reyna could feel the anger boiling inside from the mention of her sister. It exploded outwards as she lunged forward and swung as hard as she could.

As Reyna's sword hit Ares' shield, something in her shoulder gave away. Strength was lost in her arm, and she dropped her sword. A foot slammed into her chest a moment later. Reyna slammed hard into a pillar and fell to the ground.

Reyna coughed miserably and spat blood out. She could feel more blood trickling from her face and more from her mouth. It took a long moment for Reyna to attempt to get to her hands and knees. The cut on her forearm had reopened and was trickling out blood. Enyo laughed and spoke, “You are letting down your friends. They expect you to be a strong praetor.”

“Is that all you can do?” Piper demanded. Reyna closed her eyes tightly. Everything hurt, and all she wanted to do was lay her face on the ground and pass out. Instead, she listened to Piper. “You have to hide behind words, like a coward.”

“Is the daughter of Aphrodite going to tell me that I hide behind words?” Enyo demanded. She turned towards Piper. “You are the one who would be useless without charmspeak. I guess that is why you haven't done anything useful on this quest. Of course, when have you ever done anything useful?”

“Leave her alone,” Reyna wheezed. It hurt to form words. Moving almost seemed impossible. Reyna felt like she was attempting to stand, but in reality, she just laid her head back on the ground and closed her eyes. Another plea was sent to her mother. She just needed enough strength to finish the fight.

“Why did you kill the man that Aphrodite was courting?” Annabeth questioned. Enyo seemed to breath in suddenly, like she was in shock. “Did you guarantee them glory if they did your bidding? It's obvious you had a hand in all of this.”

“My brother needed a reason to get upset at Aphrodite,” Enyo sneered. “Chaos was sewn upon Olympus, and it still reigns. None of you can do anything about that. Now praetor, should I kill you the same way you killed your father?”

Reyna flinched at the words. Her greatest secret had been revealed without her permission. She didn't want to think about how Piper and Annabeth would look at her now. Reyna opened her eyes and felt Enyo grab her by the back of her neck. She stabbed forward, but Enyo grabbed the sword by the blade and threw it away.

Enyo shoved Reyna back into the pillar and grabbed her by the throat. She tightened her grip and lifted Reyna off of the ground. The praetor grabbed Enyo's hands, and it became impossible to breath.

“Roman, how would you like your death?” Enyo wondered. Reyna hit at Enyo's hands weakly. Her eyes met Annabeth's. The daughter of Athena looked concerned and ready to intervene. Reyna closed her eyes and tried to keep struggling. “Should I end it now or allow you to bleed out? Or, will you give up on this fight?”

The world was starting to dim, and Reyna knew she was going to pass out soon. She tried to speak but couldn't. Enyo smirked and finally let go. Reyna landed on her feet and started wheezing for breath. A fist slammed into her head a moment later.

It took Reyna a few moments to realize that she had collapsed to the ground. It was followed by a fit of coughing and gasping. The pain in her ribs flared up, and it was clearly what Enyo wanted. Enyo could have ended the battle before it even started. She was toying with Reyna and just wasting time.

Enyo grabbed Reyna's bandaged forearm. Reyna couldn't even fight as she was dragged towards the statue of her mother. Enyo pinned her with a foot and spoke, “I am going to enjoy killing you at the foot of your mother's statue.”

Reyna slowly looked at her mother's statue. Bellona had only helped her once, and it was when the world was at stake. Even though Reyna was probably only seconds from death, she wouldn't getting any help. The world wasn't at stake, so it didn't matter to Bellona what happened to her daughter. Reyna would have to make her own blessing.

Enyo raised her sword and brought it downwards. Reyna had no choice but to grab the blade of the sword with her hand. The sword cut into her hand but stopped inches from her face. Reyna cried out as Enyo pushed the sword deeper into her hand and closer to her face. The goddess would have no problem cutting right through her hand.

Reyna's eyes slowly moved around the room. Her sword seemed to be a thousand feet away. Annabeth and Piper were watching her in concern. It only made Reyna feel worse. She desperately tried to push the sword away. A foot slammed into her ribs, and all the fight left her.

The goddess backed away with a smile. She took a few more steps backwards, and her eyes moved to Alex. Enyo spoke, “So, what are you going to do demititan? Will you just watch me kill this demigod, without batting an eye?”

Alex didn't answer. She was still watching the fight silently, and there was no emotion on her face. Enyo smirked and turned towards Annabeth. The goddess looked like the only thing she wanted to do was brag and commend herself. Reyna curled up on her side and pressed her head into the ground.

Reyna knew she should have taken advantage of Enyo's confidence, but she couldn't. Everything hurt, and the only thing she wanted was for the pain to go away. The daughter of Bellona allowed herself to block out Enyo's taunting and slowly relax. Her eyes opened, and new strength suddenly flowed through her veins. Reyna's eyes flickered towards the statue of Bellona, and the fire on the torch seemed to be glowing brighter.

Reyna slowly grabbed Enyo's sword. She lunged forward and stabbed Enyo in the small of the back. The goddess gasped in surprise and slowly looked down at the tip of her sword. Reyna blinked, and an elbow slammed into her temple. The praetor collapsed to the ground.

“You stupid, little Roman,” Enyo snapped. She tore the sword out of her stomach and gasped in pain. For a moment, the goddess seemed to be stuck in shock and surprise. Enyo hissed, and Reyna suddenly slammed into her. They both hit the ground hard, and Mar's shield slid away from them.

It took Reyna a moment to find the strength to attempt to turn towards Enyo's fallen sword. She made it to her feet and went to reach for the sword. Enyo grabbed her by the jacket and threw her across the temple. Reyna cried out as she hit the ground, but she saw she had landed near her sword.

“I don't understand why you Romans push yourselves beyond your limits,” Enyo hissed. Footsteps echoed off of the tile floors. Reyna slowly reached a hand out for her sword. Enyo stepped on her hand. “Which one of your limbs should I break next?”

“You just want me to beg for you to stop,” Reyna muttered. She slowly looked up at Enyo. “You're too much of a coward to actually kill me. You always have mortals do dirty work for you, don't you?”

Enyo growled and moved her foot. She grabbed Reyna by her neck and went to pull her to her feet. Reyna grabbed onto her sword and stabbed Enyo in the chest. Everything froze for a few moments, and the temple fell silent. Golden ichor trickled from Enyo's wounds. Reyna tore her sword out of the goddess' chest and slowly backed away.

“You will pay,” Enyo promised. Her sword appeared in her hand, and she stabbed forward. Reyna dodged and barely managed to move away from another attack. She was forced to block another attack with her sword and was shoved backwards. Reyna hit the ground hard and slowly stared at the ceiling. Her friend's faces appeared in her sight.

“You can do this,” Annabeth whispered. With Piper's help, the two of them helped Reyna stand. They didn't seem disgusted by the fact that Reyna had committed patricide. They were probably just hiding their reactions. It was hard to even meet their faces.

Reyna looked at Enyo. The goddess paced back and forth and seemed to be shaking in anger. There was a humiliated look on her face. Reyna felt someone gently place a shield into her hand. Piper spoke, “Reyna, you can do this. We believe in you.”

After looking down, Reyna realized she was holding Mars' shield. It must have been kicked towards Piper and Annabeth during the fight. Annabeth leaned closer and spoke, “Enyo runs on chaos. She wants you to be upset when you fight. That's why she has been trying to anger you the entire time.”

Reyna nodded to show that she understood. All of her attention and energy was on the fight. She took a few steps forward and slowly made her way towards Enyo. The goddess hissed and attacked without hesitation.

Reyna blocked the blow with Mars' shield and shoved the goddess back. She slammed the shield into Enyo's face and almost felt satisfied as the goddess' nose broke. Reyna blocked another kick with the shield and shoved Enyo back again. It felt like Mars' shield was giving her strength.

Instincts caused Reyna to turn, and she used Mars' shield to block a ball of fire from Circe. The witch snarled and started to speak in ancient Greek. A fist slammed into Reyna's kidney, and the pain caused her to stumble forward.

Enyo turned Reyna around and slammed a fist into her stomach. Reyna collapsed to the ground and tried to breath. Enyo kicked the shield away and glared down at the praetor. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna saw Piper step forward. Her friends seemed upset by Circe's interference, but Enyo surely didn't.

“What happened to no interference?” Annabeth demanded. She stepped forward and glared at Enyo. The goddess turned around and smirked. Reyna rolled onto her back and tried to breath. Her breath was coming out in gasps and wheezes.

“You two gave the shield to the daughter of Bellona,” Enyo answered. The taunting was clear in her voice. “It was only fair that Circe gave me a little help as well. What do you think? Aren't you children of Athena always trying to find shortcuts?”

“This entire fight has been filled with you taking shortcuts,” Piper interrupted. “You've only been able to insult Reyna or use Circe's help to hurt her. You don't have enough skill to defeat a demigod. Aphrodite would fight better than you.”

“Shut your mouth,” Enyo snapped. She walked towards Piper. It took Reyna a moment to roll onto her stomach and grab her sword. Reyna slowly got to her hands and knees. Enyo turned and kicked her in the stomach. Reyna collapsed to the ground and didn't move.

“How do you think the Olympians are going to react when they find out about your betrayal?” Annabeth questioned. “We're going to stop your plans, and you will have to answer to the Olympians. What do you think they are going to do when they find out what you've done?”

“If you stop the fight now and bring the shield back to Ares, he may have mercy on you. All you have to do is explain to him what happened,” Piper added. Reyna looked up at her friends and tried to calm her breathing. She needed to end the fight, soon.

“No,” Enyo muttered. Reyna slowly reached for her sword and wrapped her hand around it. “I have worked too hard to be stopped by any of you demigods. It is time that I take the respect that I am deserved, one way of another.”

As Enyo turned around, Reyna jumped to her feet. Reyna stabbed Enyo in the chest with her sword. She spoke Greek and watched her sword burst into flames. Enyo yelled in pain, and Reyna kept the spell going.

“Enough,” Enyo yelled. Reyna focused her efforts on increasing the strength of the fire. She focused all of her anger and pain into the spell. Enyo grabbed the sword and stared into Reyna's eyes. The goddess seemed scared. “I yield demigod. You win this battle and the shield.”

Reyna ended the spell and shoved Enyo away. She stumbled backwards and tried to stay on her feet. Unconsciousness seemed like it was closing in. Reyna tried to turn towards her friends, but a wave of energy slammed into her from the side. The force of the energy slammed Reyna into her friends.

“Enyo may have agreed to the terms of her fight, but I will not,” Circe hissed. Reyna tried to lift her head but didn't have the strength. She slowly looked at the shield, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex dart towards the shield.

Circe waved her hand, and a visible force of energy slammed into Alex. The demititan hit the pillar hard but stayed on her feet. As she stumbled forward, another wave slammed into her. Alex hit the ground and didn't move afterwards. Circe spoke, “You are not stealing the shield from behind my back demititan, understood?”

Circe walked towards them and grabbed Annabeth by her hair. The witch pulled Annabeth to her feet and shoved a dagger underneath her chin. Reyna didn't have the strength to get to her feet, so she just laid there on the ground. Piper was slowly able to get to her feet.

“Enyo, it is time that we initiate our other plan,” Circe said. Enyo glared at the three of them and seemed to tense. Reyna blinked, and the goddess of war was gone. “You three demigods need to give up on this silly notion of fulfilling your mission. It was always going to end this way.”

“Let Annabeth go,” Reyna groaned. Her body protested as she managed to get to her knees. Her injured hand was still bleeding, and blood was trickling from her nose and mouth. The pain in her ribs and stomach didn't allow her to stand. “You're outnumbered.”

“Am I?” Circe asked. She snapped her fingers, and Reyna saw her sister step out of the shadows. Hylla smirked at them and stopped by Circe's side. Reyna heard another pair of footsteps behind her that she assumed belonged to Thalia. “Soon.”

“What is soon?” Piper asked. Reyna tensed as she heard a huge crack of thunder. It was followed by what sounded like a scream. The entire temple shook, and everyone found themselves on the ground. Annabeth was able to pull away from Circe and move to her friends' side.

The shaking was over almost as soon as it had started. Reyna slowly looked at her friend's. She knew something bad had just happened. Annabeth stared at her and slowly looked at Circe. The witch laughed.

“I told you it would be soon,” Circe said. “My plan played off. The gambles and all the chances payed off. Ouranos has risen, and your Olympians were too concerned with that stupid shield to realize it. Today marks the end of the world demigods, and I happily welcome it.”


	26. The Beginning of the End

Piper couldn't get over her feelings of shock and disbelief. There was no way that Ouranos could have risen. He had been gone for a very long time, so there was no way he could just rise again without anyone knowing it. Was that why the shield had been stolen? Was it just to distract everyone from Ournaos rising?

“I would offer you mercy, but dying is a preferable option compared to what Ournaos has planned for you,” Circe commented. Her eyes moved towards Reyna, and a cruel smirk came to her face. Reyna had one hand pressed against the ground and was using that hand to keep herself on her knees. Her other hand was pressed against her ribs.

“We failed,” Reyna muttered. She looked down at the ground. Piper stared at her friend. She had never seen Reyna look so defeated. The praetor didn't even bother to wipe away the blood that was still trickling down her face. It hit the ground and seemed to disappear into it.

“We didn't fail,” Annabeth whispered. She glanced at Piper. “Our job is to get the shield back, and that is what we are going to do. We will have to figure out this Ouranos situation later, after we get out of this.”

“Daughter of Athena, your display of confidence is a wonderful thing to see. I knew you were headstrong, but I never knew that you were so blind,” Circe commented. Her eyes flickered around the temple. “I wonder how much blood has been spilled outside these walls. The two armies are still waging their very own war. Which side will prevail? What do you think, demititan?”

Alex was sitting up and watching them. She had one hand to the back of her head, and her other arm was pressed against her stomach. The demititan looked more angry than anything else. Alex spoke, “It's still a three against three fight. Granted, the only thing you know is magic, so I would call it two against three.”

“I don't want to fight,” Circe said. Her eyes moved towards Piper. “I have an offer for you, dear. I want you to become one of my attendants. You will be able to cultivate your charmspeak into the most powerful weapon in the world, and you will be spared from Ouranos' wrath. All you must do is pledge yourself to me.”

“The answer is no,” Piper said. She stood by her friends and grabbed her dagger. “I will never work with you, Circe. We are going to take the shield and return it. Then, we are going to go to stop Ouranos.”

“You will face the worst kind of betrayal,” Circe said. Piper shook her head. Circe watched her and glared. “Fine. If you think I am evil, I can show you what evil is. Thalia and Hylla, I want you two to place your daggers to your necks and draw them across your throats.”

Piper stared and couldn't believe the words that Circe had said. She watched Thalia and Hylla both grab their daggers. Annabeth was already running towards Thalia. Reyna was trying to get to her feet, but it was clear she couldn't stand.

“Stop!” Piper yelled, at the top of her lungs. Everyone instantly stopped what they were doing. Circe even seemed effected by it. Annabeth grabbed Thalia and slammed her to the ground. She kicked Thalia's weapons away. Annabeth quickly grabbed Hylla's dagger and shoved her down.

Circe shook her head and started to back away. She glanced at the shield but turned and fled from the temple. Piper turned towards Hylla and Thalia. She spoke, “You two are under Circe's control. You have to snap out of it. Now!”

Hylla slowly looked around confused. She sat up and looked at Reyna. After a few moments, Hylla quickly got to her feet and looked around. She stumbled and sat back down gripping her head. It looked like she remembered everything that had happened.

“What happened?” Thalia groaned. She was sitting by Annabeth and holding her head. The two looked like they had been talking quietly, but Thalia still looked confused and lost. Hylla looked the same.

“We need to end the battle,” Alex interrupted. Everyone slowly looked at her. Alex was shaking in what was probably anger. “Thalia and Hylla need to tell their dogs to back off, and someone needs to tell the demititans to stop. I would do that, but they would kill me on sight.”

Annabeth nodded and helped Thalia to her feet. After a moment, she walked towards Hylla and helped her stand as well. Annabeth led the two of them out, explaining what had happened. Piper looked back at Reyna, who had laid back on the ground.

Reyna had one hand on her ribs, and the other was pressed against her face. She slowly turned on the side and was trying to calm her breathing down. It was coming out as wheezing. Piper knelt by her and gently touched her shoulder.

“We did it,” Piper said. She grabbed the shield and sat by Reyna. The daughter of Bellona looked at her and slowly nodded. Reyna closed her eyes and seemed to relax. Piper rubbed her friend's shoulder and looked around the temple.

Piper turned her attention towards Alex. The demititan was sitting against the pillar with her hand still pressed to her head. Blood was trickling down her hand and forearm. Piper stood and walked towards her. She spoke, “Let me look at it.”

“I'm fine,” Alex muttered. She glared up at Piper, but Piper simply knelt by the demititan. After a few moments, Alex lowered her hand and looked down at the ground. Her hand moved to arm, and she winced in pain. “Is Sarah okay?”

“I don't know,” Piper answered. She gently grabbed Alex's head and looked at the back of it. There was a nasty wound on the back of her head. When Piper looked at the demititan's arm, she winced at the clear breakage. Alex looked up at her, and the two met eyes.

“Ouranos is back,” Alex muttered. She winced and put her hand back to her head. Piper didn't try to help Alex again. It didn't look like the demititan would accept anymore help. “He has an army that will be led by a barbarian named Odovacer. That is what my father told me.”

“Why didn't you tell anyone?” Piper asked. “Thorn kept saying that you were sending all of these secret messages. That's why he thought you were going to betray the demititans. It doesn't make sense.”

“Don't pretend to care,” Alex snapped. She shoved Piper away and tried to stand. Alex hissed and sat against the pillar again. “You do not know anything about me, demigod. I only trust one person in my life, but I couldn't get her involved in this, in case something happened.”

“Were you working with Circe?” Piper asked. She stared at Alex and took a few steps back. The demititan looked up at her and glared. Alex finally looked back down and closed her eyes.

“No,” Alex muttered. “I was sending those message to Artemis. She wanted an update on us every week, or she promised to take direct action. Do you know how much trouble I will get in when the others find out? I had to protect Sarah from that.”

Piper heard footsteps and looked up. She smiled slightly as she saw Annabeth. Her friend walked towards her and nodded. Annabeth moved past Piper and knelt next to Reyna. Piper moved towards her friends and knelt by them.

“Reyna, you have to wake up,” Annabeth whispered. She gently shook Reyna's shoulder and grabbed some nectar. It took a few moments for the praetor to open her eyes and accept the nectar. The exhaustion was clear in her eyes. “Are you still with us?”

“Yeah,” Reyna mumbled. She tried to sit up, and Piper quickly helped her. Reyna winced and placed a hand to her ribs. She took a shaky breath and tried to stand. Pain quickly took over her face. “We have to deliver the shield.”

“You can't walk,” Piper argued. She knew how much Reyna wanted to deliver the shield, but she needed to rest. Annabeth watched the two of them before turning her head. Piper turned to see Hylla walk towards them.

“Reyna,” Hylla began. She walked towards Reyna and stopped a few feet away. Reyna looked away and didn't respond. The pain in her eyes was replaced with anger “I'm sorry about what I did, sister.”

“Don't call me that,” Reyna snapped. She tried to stand again and cursed in pain. Her fist slammed into the ground. “Just leave me alone, Hylla. Leave. Go back to your Amazons and give me some space.”

Hylla shook her head but turned away. She walked out of the temple. Reyna's eyes started to water, and she hid her face. Piper looked down and didn't know what to say. Reyna had been holding her emotions in, and there was no telling how she would react.

“We should go,” Annabeth said. Piper helped her, and the two managed to get Reyna to her feet. Reyna almost collapsed against Annabeth but managed to lean on a pillar. She rested her head against it. “Can you walk?”

“I just need time,” Reyna muttered. She sat back down against the pillar and curled up. “I need a few minutes. Someone needs to make sure the demititans are okay and get the Pegasi. Can you guys do that?”

Piper shared a glance with Annabeth, who nodded. The daughter of Aphrodite sighed and spoke, “Yeah. We'll be back to get you in a few minutes. Alex, are you sure that you don't need help?”

“I'm fine,” Alex muttered. She stayed against her pillar and watched them. Her eyes focused on Reyna before looking back at the ground. Piper was worried about leaving the demititan alone with an injured Reyna, but she forced herself to walk out of the temple.

The first thing Piper saw was the Amazons and Hunters crowding around their leaders confused. Hylla and Thalia looked like they were trying to explain what had happened. The demititans had backed up a respectable amount and were sitting on the ground.

Thorn and Sarah walked towards them. Thorn was limping and had a few cuts on his face. Sarah was favoring her shoulder and had a hand to her chest. Thorn looked around and spoke, “Where is Oliver? Did he make it?”

“He was the traitor,” Annabeth answered. “He framed Alex with that letter from Hylla, but he said she did send the other letters. Oliver tried to kill Piper and I, but Alex saved us. She tried to help us against Circe too.”

“Alex said that she did send letters to Artemis, but that was because Artemis threatened to take direct action if she didn't,” Piper added. “Alex was trying to protect Sarah from the fallout. She isn't the traitor, and she knew this would come back to haunt her.”

“She wasn't the traitor,” Thorn whispered. He glanced back at Sarah. After a moment, Sarah took off towards the temple. Thorn looked at Annabeth and Piper. “You two should get the shield back. I'll make sure that everyone here gets back safely.”

“Will you be able to mend things with Alex?” Piper asked. Thorn looked at her and shook his head. “I know that Alex doesn't have the same emotions as the rest of us, and that's part of the reason you don't trust her. She cares for Sarah though, and she won't let anything happen to her. You have to trust Alex.”

Thorn nodded slightly. He sighed and looked back at the temple. After a few moments, Thorn walked towards the temple. Piper heard footsteps and turned to see Hylla.

“What did I do to my sister?” Hylla asked. She swallowed painfully and rubbed her forehead. “I can remember bits and pieces, but it is all fuzzy. What did I do?”

“You attacked the two of us,” Piper began. She looked away awkwardly. “You broke my arm and broke her ribs. She said that you tried to concuss her, so she wouldn't remember the fight. Reyna's been really shut down after you attacked us.”

“I need to talk to her,” Hylla began. Piper gently grabbed her arm. She knew that Hylla wanted to talk to her sister, but Reyna wasn't' in a talking mood. It would only make their relationship worse. Both of them needed time.

“Hylla, you have to tend to your Amazons and weed out the rest of Circe's attendants,” Annabeth said. “You heard Reyna. She needs space. While we deliver the shield, she can calm down, and the two of you can talk after.”

After a few moments, Hylla nodded. She finally turned and walked away. Annabeth looked at Piper and spoke, “I'll go ahead and call the Pegasi. Can you help Reyna walk out to the temple? We should get going as soon as we can. If we hurry, we should have a few hours to spare by the time we get there.”

Piper nodded. She watched Annabeth walk away. Piper turned to look at the temple. They had to find out a way to stop Ouranos, but first, they needed to return the shield and stop the war before it could happen.


	27. The Broken Curse

Annabeth glanced down at her watch and kept counting down the time. They were so close to their destination but so far. It didn't help that the rain was falling on them, and the three of them were pretty much soaked to the bone. Annabeth glanced at Piper and spoke, “How are you holding up?”

“I'm soaking wet, but I could be off a lot worse,” Piper answered. She looked at Annabeth, and her eyes moved towards Reyna. Annabeth glanced down at the daughter of Bellona and placed a hand to her shoulder. Reyna was sleeping against Guido and seemed to be pretty peaceful. The shield was strapped to her arm.

“Reyna looks relaxed, thankfully,” Annabeth commented. She glanced up at the sky, as thunder boomed. Lighting flashed nearby, and Annabeth found herself staring at it. “Ouranos and Zeus must be battling for the sky.”

“And, the weather is getting worse,” Piper commented. She rubbed her arm nervously. “What about the prophecy? We still don't know what curse was lifted. There is also the rewards being inflicted. We're missing parts of the prophecy. I don't like it.”

“I have a feeling that we'll learn the meaning to the prophecy when we deliver the shield,” Annabeth commented. She heard Reyna shift, as if she was staring to wake up. Reyna had been asleep ever since telling them what had happened with Circe. Annabeth had been doing her best to keep the praetor on Guido.

“How close are we?” Piper asked. She glanced down at her own Pegasus, which was only a few feet away from Guido. Annabeth wished she knew the Pegasus' name, but he was one of the newer ones they had received.

“Five minutes,” Annabeth answered. They had pushed the Pegasi to their limit, just so they could make it on time. “We still have a hour left in our deadline. We'll be able to return the shield and stop the war from beginning.”

Annabeth gently shook Reyna's shoulder. The praetor groaned and shifted. She slowly looked up and rubbed her eyes. Annabeth spoke, “We're only a few minutes away from Olympus. I thought you would want to be awake”

Reyna mumbled something in Latin and rubbed her eyes again. It was clear how exhausted she was, and Annabeth didn't blame her, considering Reyna had dueled a goddess and won even with injured ribs.

As they passed over a building, Annabeth felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She glanced up and suddenly wrapped both arms around Reyna's waist. Without any warning, she threw both of them off Guido.

Annabeth felt Reyna move the shield, so it would take the brunt of the force, instead of Annabeth's arm. They slammed into the building, and Annabeth felt sharp pain in her shoulder and knee. She heard Reyna make a choked noise.

Upon looking up, Annabeth saw lightning hit Guido. The Pegasus dropped like a stone and slammed into the roof. She looked away as Guido didn't move afterwards. Annabeth didn't want to think of how bad the Pegasus was hurt.

It took Piper a few moments to land her Pegasus and jump off. She ran to their side. Annabeth slowly sat up and waved towards Guido. The daughter of Athena spoke, “Check on Guido. I'll make sure Reyna's okay.”

“I'm great,” Reyna wheezed. It was a clear lie, as her face was extremely pale. Reyna tried to speak but ended up coughing miserably. She pressed her head against the ground and coughed again. Annabeth placed a hand to Reyna's back. Her eyes moved back to Guido.

There was two, large burn marks on the Pegasus' wing. Guido looked to be in extreme pain and wasn't moving. Piper looked back at them. She spoke, “He looks bad. I don't know too much about Pegasus first aid.”

Annabeth looked back at Reyna and slowly stood. She walked towards Guido and poured nectar on his wounds. It only seemed to help a little. They didn't have the supplies to properly take care of the Pegasus. She moved back towards Reyna.

The daughter of Bellona was curled up on the ground and didn't look like she could stand. Annabeth knelt by her and placed a hand to her back. She didn't want to think about the damage she had done by tackling Reyna off of the Pegasus. Annabeth spoke, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“You saved my life,” Reyna wheezed. She forced herself to her knees using one of her elbows. Her other arm pressed against her ribs. “We need to have someone help Guido, and we need to get moving.”

“That won't be necessary,” a voice said. Annabeth recognized the voice, and she froze. It took her a moment to stand and turn around. The Titan in front of them ran a hand through his slicked back, black hair. His gray eyes were full of hatred. A hand gripped his javelin.

“Atlas,” Annabeth said. She moved in front of Reyna. Atlas smirked and walked towards them. Piper moved to Annabeth's side. Atlas glared and waved his hand. A wave of energy slammed into the three of them, and Annabeth hit the ground hard. Her head whiplashed against it.

Somehow, Reyna was the first to her feet. She glanced back at them and spoke, “Piper, check on Annabeth. Now.”

Reyna stumbled forward and used Ares' shield to block another blast of energy. Atlas followed it up by closing the gap between the two and attacking. Annabeth blinked a few times and slowly sat up. Her head was aching miserably, and she didn't want to think she had a concussion.

“Annabeth, are you okay?” Piper asked. It took Annabeth a few moments to nod. There was no way that Atlas should have been able to attack them. He had broken ancient rules by attacking them without being provoked.

Reyna's cry of pain caught their attention. Annabeth quickly sat up and fought back her feeling of dizziness. She forced herself to stand and watched as Atlas backhanded Reyna. The blow caused the daughter of Bellona to spin around and fall to the ground. She didn't get back up, as Atlas raised his javelin.

Piper ran towards their fallen friend. At the last second, she grabbed Ares' shield and used it to block Atlas' javelin. Sparks appeared as the weapons clashed. The Titan backed up and studied the three. Atlas finally turned and walked towards Annabeth.

Annabeth grabbed her cap of invisibility and whipped it on. Atlas smirked and suddenly turned. He threw the javelin with lightning speed. It slammed into Ares' shield, and the force of the hit knocked Piper to the ground.

Atlas walked towards the two fallen demigods. He grabbed his javelin and looked between them. After seeming to think it over, Atlas walked towards Reyna and watched her. Reyna was slowly managing to get to her feet. Atlas backed up a few feet and raised his javelin.

Atlas threw the javelin right at the praetor. Annabeth bit back a curse and slammed into Reyna. As they hit the ground, she heard her friend's cry of pain that told Annabeth just how much pain Reyna was really in. The daughter of Athena pulled her friend backwards and realized her cap had fallen off of her head.

“This is a valiant but futile effort,” Atlas commented. He smiled and looked at the carnage that he had created. Reyna wasn't moving, and Piper was slowly managing to get to her feet. Annabeth was able to get to her feet without too much dizziness. “It will not be enough.”

“Stop,” Piper began. Her voice seemed to be laced with charmspeak, but it didn't seem to be impactful. Atlas turned towards Piper and laughed. “You don't want to fight us. You want to leave.”

“Oh, I really do want to fight you though,” Atlas said. He smirked and looked around at the three of them. Atlas seemed to study his handiwork. The Titan snapped his fingers, and his javelin appeared in his hands.

“Piper, you need to leave,” Reyna wheezed. She had managed to get to her hands and knees once again, but it was clear that she wasn't going to be able to get to her feet. Annabeth glanced at the shield in Piper's hands. She understood Reyna's train of thought.

“Piper, you need to get the shield back to Olympus,” Annabeth said. She grabbed her sword and slowly looked at Atlas. The Titan seemed to be amused by them. Piper looked at them and took a few steps backwards.

“You three are not going to save the day, not today,” Atlas promised. Annabeth ran forward to attack him. It would be her against Atlas. It didn't look like Reyna would be getting up anytime soon. Atlas deflected her attack and seemed to smile at her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw hesitation on Piper's face. The daughter of Aphrodite finally seemed to force herself to look away, and she ran towards the uninjured Pegasus. Lightning hit the ground right in front of Piper, and she fell backwards and scrambled away.

The blunt end of javelin slammed into Annabeth's forehead. She fell to the ground and blinked a few times, completely disoriented. A javelin appeared an inch from her face, but she saw two hands grab it. Annabeth slowly met Reyna's eyes and saw the praetor's hands gripping the javelin.

Atlas shoved Reyna backwards. Reyna barely managed to stay on her feet, and Atlas threw his javelin at her. The javelin tore into Reyna's shoulder, and the force of the javelin knocked her to the ground.

Atlas walked towards Reyna and grabbed his javelin. He pressed his foot into her head and tore the javelin out of her shoulder. Reyna cried out miserably and was left wheezing for breath. Atlas looked towards Annabeth and raised his javelin once again.

Piper attacked the Titan from the side. Atlas barely managed to dodge and step away. He jabbed forward, but Piper dodged to the side. She cut his arm and went to stab forward. Atlas knocked her sword aside and threw her backwards.

Piper stumbled backwards, and lightning hit the ground in front of her. She fell backwards and scrambled back towards Annabeth. It was hard for Annabeth to even get to her feet, but her concern was on her friends. They were in a desperate situation, and there was no obvious way out.

“The sky is against you!” Atlas taunted. He backed away and motioned for them to stand. “I just want to know what hope you three even think you can have. One of you is bleeding out. The other is a hopeless daughter of Aphrodite. My only threat is Annabeth Chase. Why don't the three of you try to regroup?”

Annabeth hated the taunting. She slowly got to her feet and moved towards Reyna. The daughter of Bellona was gripping her shoulder with one hand, but blood seemed to be pouring between her fingers. Reyna looked up at Annabeth and tried getting to her feet again. Annabeth grabbed her.

“You two go. I'll hold Atlas off,” Reyna mumbled. She was shaking horribly. Annabeth took off her jacket and pressed it against Reyna's shoulder. She steadied her friend, who looked ready to pass out.

“You're not going to sacrifice yourself for this,” Annabeth said. She heard Piper move to their side. Reyna slowly gave them a look, but the only thing Annabeth could focus on was the fact that Reyna's face was so pale.

“It doesn't matter what you demigods try to do. I have my orders, and despite whatever you try, the daughter of Bellona will die today,” Atlas said. He smiled, and Annabeth slowly looked at Reyna. The praetor had no emotion on her face, besides pain. “Granted, there is nothing to worry about. She is not a threat, with her crippled sword hand and injuries. There is nothing to be fearful of.”

“What are you talking about?” Piper asked. She moved in front of Reyna. “Why do you want to kill Reyna, and why haven't you done it already? You've just been toying with us this entire time.”

“He's wasting time,” Annabeth realized. She stood as well and stared at Atlas. “You're just wasting time till the deadline, but you can't kill us. That would ruin the ruse that Circe and Enyo are trying to create. You're working with them right?”

“I work with justice,” Atlas said. He took a stepped forward and met Annabeth's eyes. “I have spent a very long time holding up the sky. You held it up once yourself, for a boy who did not even love you. Why would the Olympians still force me to hold up the sky?”

“It's your punishment,” Annabeth said. She ignored Atlas' words and ignored the stinging in her heart. Annabeth looked at her friends and tried to think of a way out of their situation. If they didn't get Reyna help soon, she was going to pass out from blood loss. “You supported Kronos, and you lost.

“I was supporting my family,” Atlas snapped. “I have one question for you, and I want you to really think about it. Are the Olympians fair? I was punished for helping family. Prometheus was punished for helping humans. If we look back at history, you will find many examples of the Olympians punishing mortals and immortals for doing what is right.”

Atlas shook his head and threw his javelin with lighting speed. It slammed into the shield, causing Piper to stumble backwards. Atlas moved just as fast and slammed his fist into Piper's jaw. He picked up his fallen javelin and threw it at Reyna.

Reyna dove to the ground and hissed in pain. After a moment, she managed to make it to her feet, but she collapsed to her knees soon after. Atlas walked towards her and smirked. Annabeth attacked the Titan from the side. Atlas caught Annabeth's sword and threw her backwards.

Annabeth quickly tried to sit up, but she found Atlas' javelin a few inches from her face. He pressed it into her forehead and looked down at her. Atlas suddenly pulled the javelin away and spoke, “I have another meeting to attend. Have fun, demigod.”

Before Annabeth could blink, Atlas was gone. She slowly sat up and looked around. The shield was laying a few feet away from her, but it was still there. Reyna was laying next to the shield and seemed to be unconscious. Annabeth slowly looked back at where Atlas had been.

Why had Atlas just left the shield behind? He had the three of them beat and could have killed them. Instead, he let the three of them live, even though he had been ordered to kill Reyna and probably would have enjoyed killing Annabeth. Even with the ruse Circe was trying to create, it didn't make any sense.

Annabeth forced herself to snap out of her shock. She quickly stood and hurried towards Reyna's side. Annabeth wrapped her jacket around Reyna's shoulder and did her best to stop the bleeding. She reached into her pockets to find ambrosia or nectar, but she didn't find anything. Annabeth cursed and quickly searched Reyna's pocket for anything.

Out of the corner of Annabeth's eye, she could see Piper wasn't stirring. Annabeth took a calming breath. She needed to focus on Reyna and then worry about Piper. Annabeth heard the sound of wings, and she looked out. In the distance, she saw Blackjack, and her heart jumped. There was only one person who would be riding Blackjack, but why was Percy there?

Percy guided Blackjack towards the roof and jumped off. He ran towards Annabeth and examined the situation. He pulled ambrosia out of his pocket and knelt by Reyna. Annabeth took the time to turn towards Piper.

Surprisingly, Piper was slowly sitting up and had a hand to her jaw. She was clearly in pain. Annabeth helped her stand, and they made their way back to Percy's side. Percy looked up at them and looked around in clear confusion. He spoke, “What happened here?”

“We had the shield,” Annabeth answered. She slowly knelt down and examined Reyna's pale face. “We were on the way back, and Atlas attacked us. Why are you here though? You should be at Camp Half-Blood.”

“Ares didn't wait for the end of his deadline. About a hour ago, his kids just flipped and started attacking everyone,” Percy explained. Annabeth looked up in shock. Why did Ares start his war? They had the shield, and they still had time.

“We have to deliver the shield and get some bandages for Reyna,” Piper said. Annabeth looked at her friend and nodded. All they could do was deliver the shield to Ares and have him stop his war. Hopefully, he would see reason, and the damage from the war wouldn't be too severe.


	28. The Point of No Return

Reyna was having a peaceful sleep, until she heard muffled voices. It took Reyna a few moments to slowly open her eyes. She closed her eyes again and tried to fall back asleep. It didn't work, so she finally forced her eyes open. The daughter of Bellona slowly tried to sit up.

“Don't,” Annabeth warned. She placed a hand to Reyna's uninjured shoulder and kept her laying down. “You lost a lot of blood during the fight. We have the shield; Atlas left it with us. The only problem is that Ares started the war before the end of the deadline.”

“Mars did what?” Reyna asked confused. She stared up at the ceiling and tried to think. It took a moment for everything to come rushing back. A honk caught her attention, and Reyna realized that she was laying in a van.

Reyna blinked a few times and slowly remembered what she had been doing. Her eyes quickly moved around, and her confusion only came back. If they had been attacked by Atlas, where was he? Why were they in the back of a van?

“How do you feel?” another voice asked. Reyna slowly turned and focused on the driver of the van. Sally glanced at her using the mirror. The two had met when Reyna was stuck in the hospital with appendicitis. They had not talked since then.

“I'm fine,” Reyna lied. She was sure no one would believe it. Her eyes closed for a few moments. “Why did Atlas leave the shield with us? And, where are we going?”'

“Olympus,” Percy answered. Reyna opened both eyes and slowly looked at Percy. He was sitting in the passenger seat and seemed to be concerned about her condition. Reyna nodded slightly and laid her head back. “We also don't know why he left the shield. It can't be a good sign.”

“How do we plan on stopping this war?” Piper questioned. She leaned forward and looked at them. Annabeth rubbed her forehead and seemed to have a headache. “I thought Bellona and Athena were suppose to meet with him before the deadline ended. I guess it didn't go well.”

Reyna zoned out of the conversation. She didn't really care why Mars had started his war early, and she didn't care that Ouranos was back. Her thoughts all went back to Hylla. Why would her sister work with Circe?

Reyna tried to force her mind elsewhere and looked down at her right arm. She stared at the jagged line from where the soothsayer had cut into her arm. Her hand had been bandaged, and considering she couldn't move her shoulder, she figured it was bandaged as well.

As Reyna laid there, she closed her eyes for one small moment. When she reopened them, she felt the van stopping. Reyna slowly sat up and realized they were outside of the Empire State Building. It took her a few moments to climb out of the van.

A look around showed that there was no mortals on the street. They all seemed to be inside and out of the rain. Reyna wished she could be that lucky. It took her a moment to take a step towards the front door, but she suddenly stopped.

Reyna felt the hair on her arm raise, and she started to turn back towards her friends. She saw lightning flash, and it suddenly slammed into the car she was standing near. The car exploded, and the force of the explosion threw Reyna into another car.

Reyna blacked out for a few moments, and when she came to, she found herself laying on top of a car. There was cracked glass beneath her, and multiple car alarms were going off. Reyna slowly rolled off of the car and collapsed to the ground.

“Can you hear me?” a muffled voice asked. It sounded like they were miles away. Reyna slowly looked at Sally. It took her a few moments to nod, and she slowly tried to sit up. Reyna placed a hand to her side and cursed. “Reyna?”

“Check on the others,” Reyna wheezed. She scooted backwards into the car and used it to help her stand. There was a ringing in her ears that was slowly staring to disappear. One look around showed that more lightning had hit other areas and left destruction in its wake.

Reyna slowly looked around for her friends. Sally was kneeling by Annabeth, who seemed to have hit her head. Percy and Piper were both trying to get to their feet. There was an eerie silence in the air, but it was interrupted by a foot slamming into the ground.

“This is the start of a new war,” Enyo commented. Reyna turned to face the goddess, and a hand grabbed her neck. Reyna gasped as she was lifted off of her feet, and Enyo started to crush her throat. “Roman, I promise that you will be the first casualty.”

Reyna tried to grab her sword, and she tried to kick at Enyo. The goddess threw her into a van. Reyna felt the van dent from the force of her hitting it. She fell to the ground and instinctively rolled to the side. A sword tore through the concrete right where the praetor's head had been.

“I am going to finish what I started,” Enyo swore. She tore her sword out of the ground and approached Reyna. It took Reyna a moment to unsheathe her sword and even longer to get to her feet. Enyo wasted no time in swinging her sword again.

Reyna barely dodged and tried to slash upwards. Enyo blocked the attack and disarmed Reyna. She followed it up with another kick to the chest. The force of the kick sent Reyna back into the already dented van. The praetor collapsed to the ground.

As Reyna started to cough, she choked on a small amount of blood. She spat the blood out and then coughed up more blood. Reyna knew she was in serious trouble. It took her a few moments to roll onto her back. Her body ached from the abuse it had been put through. Enyo stood over her.

A foot stepped on her neck. Reyna tried to make a noise, but nothing came out. Enyo looked down at her. An evil smile came to her face. Enyo spoke, “How does it feel to have your last moments spent in agony?”

The foot lifted from her neck, only to slam back down. Reyna heard a crack and tried to cry out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sally watching them in shock. Reyna gave her a look that begged her to stay away from the crazy goddess.

“I was only going easy on you before,” Enyo taunted. She stepped away and looked around. A small laugh escaped her. “I should have killed you at the temple, but this is so much more fun. I only wonder why Circe saw you as a threat. You are just a child.”

Reyna glared and coughed out more blood. It hurt to do anything. The praetor was only able to gasp for air, and she couldn't breath normally. Enyo was right when she said that Reyna was spending her last moments in agony. More blood was coughed out, and Reyna tried to speak but only managed to gasp for more air.

“I wonder what the final blow was,” Enyo commented. She stood over Reyna. “Was it the punctured lung? Was it a little broken bone in your neck? Maybe, it is your body just giving out on you from how much you have pushed it. It doesn't matter. Your name will be the first recorded in the history of demigods that allowed the world to fall.”

Enyo took a step back and placed her sword to Reyna's chest. She raised the sword and slammed it down. Reyna closed her eyes and heard the sound of metal hitting metal. It took her a few moments to open her eyes. Another sword had stopped Enyo's blade, only a few centimeter from Reyna's face. The praetor slowly looked up at her savior.

What little breath Reyna had left her. She stared up at her mother. Bellona shoved Enyo back and stood in front of her daughter. Reyna tried to sit up but ended up coughing miserably and collapsing onto her back. Her vision dimmed.

“Get away from my daughter,” Bellona growled. She shoved Enyo backwards and attacked her. Reyna quickly tried to sit up, but her body refused to move. All she could do was stare at her mother, who was wearing a full set of Roman armor. The only thing Reyna could really see was her mother's black eyes.

“This is just so cute,” Enyo sneered. “You come to your daughter's aid, after she is already dying. Where was your help during the duel? Did you even point her in the right direction? I'm not quite sure you're concerned about your daughter, just your reputation.”

Bellona didn't say the word. Her only response was to attack Enyo. The two goddesses traded blows and seemed to be evenly matched. Reyna looked away and laid her head back on the ground. She tried to breath, but it only came out as another cough.

Dying didn't really scare Reyna, but she always thought it would come in the heat of battle. She hated that she could only lie there in pain and wait for the end to come. Reyna closed her eyes and tried to stay awake. Rhea had to be wrong about her. There was no way Reyna could stop Ouranos.

A hand suddenly grabbed onto her arm, and Reyna's eyes snapped open. She quickly grabbed the person's wrist and stared up at them. Rhea looked down at her and placed a hand to her face. Rhea spoke, “Relax. The pain will go away, soon.”

“You have to help,” Reyna wheezed. She tried to sit up and look at her mother. Instead, she coughed up more blood. Rhea shook her head and gently laid Reyna back on the ground. Her touch was gentle, but she wasn't allowing Reyna to move an inch.

“Their path is already set, but there is still time for you,” Rhea said. Reyna felt her world go dark for a few moments, and she tried to keep her eyes open. Sleep sounded so good. “Bellona and Enyo will fight to the bitter end. You and your demigod friends must leave before Ouranos arrives.”

Someone knelt by them and placed a hand to Reyna's forehead. Some of the pain in her chest started to disappear. Reyna still felt her eyes growing heavier. Rhea spoke, “We can repair some of the damage, but I have one last gift to give you.”

“Are we sure that she is going to make it?” Another voice asked. Reyna tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't even keep them open. Rhea said something in response, but Reyna couldn't hear what it was. She felt a hand gently touch her temple.

After a few moments, Reyna found a way to open her eyes. She was standing inside of a dimly lit room. The few torches on the wall were burning low and almost made it impossible to see her surroundings. The meeting place felt ancient.

Reyna slowly looked around and saw a few pillars ahead of her. Past the pillars, she saw three figures standing in the middle of the room. One of them was wearing a shawl, but it was easy to see that it was Rhea. Red eyes and a scowl gave away that the other one was Enyo.

The third person wore a cloak that covered their features. They crossed their arms and looked down at the ground. Despite the cloak that covered them, Reyna almost felt like there was something familiar about them. The cloaked figure spoke, “He will face shell shock from this new world. We may not have time for him to get over it.”

“We will have to introduce him slowly, and we will have to be careful about it,” Rhea said. Her eyes glanced around the room. Reyna found herself stepping behind the pillar, even though she was sure no one could see her.

“We shouldn't waste our time with this. We can attack directly and finish this before it begins,” Enyo argued. She began to pace back and forth.

“Gaea was just defeated, mere hours ago,” the cloaked figure said. He crossed his arms. It almost sounded like two people were talking at once. “We barely got our new general out of Tartarus in time. When the Olympians find out about him, they will know our plans..

“Then, we give them something to think about,” Enyo suggested. Rhea slowly looked at her. “The best generals always have a solid plan, but they also use distractions. That is what we must do.”

“So, what is your plan?” the cloaked figure asked. He seemed to take a step closer. Enyo stopped pacing and looked at the two of them. There was a smirk on her face, and it seemed like she was enjoying the attention.

“We know that one of the Romans is destined to disrupt out plans, but we don't know who that is. We have to disrupt the Romans and throw them off balance. We must take out their leadership,” Enyo said. She smirked.

“The daughter of Bellona is the only consistent praetor,” a new voice added. Reyna heard the voice behind her and turned her head. Despite the fact that the voice was only a few feet away, she couldn't see any of their features. “The other position of praetor has been tossed around.”

“Lelantos, it is a pleasure,” Rhea greeted. The Titan seemed to nod his own greeting. “If we are suggesting on taking out a praetor of Camp Jupiter, we must have a solid plan for it. I know that she use to be an attendant at Circe's spa. The witch would know about her.”

“She also has a sister in the Amazons. It would be a good way to learn more about her and lure her out,” Lelantos added. Reyna looked in between the two Titans. It sounded like they were planning her destruction.

The four immortals fell silent, as footsteps echoed through the temple. Reyna turned her head to look at the man, and her eyes widened. She had only seen statues of him, but even though long hair covered his features, Reyna knew who it was.

“Odovacer,” Rhea greeted. The man stopped in the middle of the four of them and looked around. Reyna pushed herself off of the pillar. She studied the barbarian in front of her and felt herself glaring.

“Titan,” the man said in Latin. He slowly looked around at the four immortals surrounding him. “I was pulled away from my eternal punishment. It must be something important.”

“We have an offer for you,” Rhea said. She glanced over to where Reyna was standing. Did she know that she would show this to Reyna in the future? “Ouranos is returning to rule this world. He needs a general to lead his mortal army. This general will need to divide the two camps that demigods refuge in.”

“Camps? How long have I been gone?” Odovacer questioned. He slowly looked around and then looked down at himself. Rhea smiled gently and placed a hand to his shoulder.

“It has been a little more than one thousand and five hundred years. Time passes oddly in Tartarus, I know. A lot has happened, since you last walked this earth. We must reacquaint you with this world and quickly. Your target is a place called Camp Jupiter. It also goes by the name New Rome.”

“New,” Odovacer said. A smirk came to his face. Reyna glared at the barbarian in front of her. His eyes moved down to the sword at his side, and he slowly picked it up. The light seemed to shine on the dried blood on it. “This is the blood of the last Roman emperor. It sounds as if the Romans have regrouped. Who is their emperor now?”

“They have no emperor. Their leadership is consisted of two praetors. One of them is named Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. She is a daughter of Bellona and very dangerous,” Lelantos said. “The other seems to be Frank Zhang. He is a son of Mars, and while he may not seem threatening, he is not to be taken lightly.”

“I was always told that I was destined to bring the end of an empire,” Odovacer said. He lowered his sword. “I did not realize I would have the honor of doing it twice. Soon, this New Rome and its praetors will fall, by my hand.”

Reyna's eyes snapped open, and she started to cough miserably. The pain was not as bad as it was before, but everything still hurt. Reyna blinked a few times and stared up at the sky. It took her a few moments to see Annabeth and Piper leaning over her.

“Hey,” Reyna began. She closed her eyes again and slowly wiped the blood from her mouth. A few breaths allowed her to regulate her breathing and calm her mind. Reyna finally opened her eyes and sat up, with help from her friends

“You have to stop scaring us,” Annabeth said. Reyna nodded her agreement and placed a hand to her side. She turned her head and spat out more blood. Annabeth gently grabbed her arm, and with Piper's help, she was able to get to her feet.

“Rhea told me that Ouranos is coming. We have to leave,” Reyna began. She found something to lean on and kept her hand to her shoulder. A comforting hand grabbed her arm, and Sally gave her a look that told her to relax. Reyna wasn't going to argue with that.

“We can't leave,” Piper began. She grabbed Mars' shield from where it laid on the ground. “Even though Ares started the war, we can still stop it by handing over this shield. We can't just leave.”

Reyna glanced around and realized that the street was dead silent. There was no mortals around. Bellona and Enyo were gone as well. Reyna slowly looked around. If it wasn't for the large amount of destroyed and dented cars, it would seem like nothing had happened.

“We are not strong enough to fight Ouranos. We need to leave and regroup,” Annabeth said. Reyna nodded her agreement and saw Percy appear behind them. It looked like he had been scouting. Reyna placed her hand to her mouth again and wiped away more blood.

“What about Olympus?” Piper asked. All of the demigods turned to look at the building. Reyna looked up towards Olympus, but all she could see was the storms. Was Olympus intact or being torn apart?

“Olympus is intact, for now,” a woman said from behind them. Reyna slowly turned her head and saw Venus. The goddess of love was wearing bloodied and battered armor. She looked exhausted. “Roman, we must talk.”

Reyna glanced at her friends and then slowly looked at the goddess. She gave a slow nod and managed to push herself off of the van that she was leaning on. It took her a few moments to follow Venus away from her friends.

“Do you understand the rift that you have caused in the Olympians?” Venus asked. Reyna glanced up and then looked back at the ground. She gave a small shake of her head and wanted to protest that she hadn't done anything. She figured it would be a good idea to keep her mouth shut. “You do not understand what being Rhea's champion entitles.”

“I had to resist Circe's charmspeak,” Reyna said softly. She sighed and looked down at the ring. Reyna closed her eyes and then rubbed her face. “I did what I had to do.”

“Rhea's champions have always made great sacrifices of the things that they love. You do not understand how powerful that is,” Venus warned. She took a step closer to Reyna. “You do not understand how it divides the Olympians. They fear exactly how much you will sacrifice.”

Reyna looked away. She found that her mind was racing, but it went back to Rhea's warning. Reyna spoke, “I was told that Ouranos would be here soon. We must go.”

“No,” Venus said. She looked around. “The bulk of the Olympians have gathered here. He would not dare attack all of us. He is not that brave, nor is he that powerful. We are missing three of our numbers though: Minerva, Mars, and Bellona.”

“Enyo took my mother,” Reyna assumed. Venus nodded, and Reyna looked at the ground. Her mother would not have been captured, if she wasn't saving Reyna's life. “Why would they take Mars and Minerva?”

“If Mars is not here, he cannot stop the war that he so foolishly started,” Venus said. “Minerva is our best strategist, even by Roman standards. Ouranos wants to cripple the war effort as much as he can, and this was the easiest way for him to do it. He will not stop, praetor. Not until he fulfills his duty to his wife. She drives him, but we can exploit that.”

“How?” Reyna asked. She slowly looked up at Venus. “It's not like we can harm her to hurt him.”

“You think too much like a brute,” Venus chided. “Love can make the smartest of men do the silliest of things. Take Marc Antony as an example. He gave up his power in Rome for love. When his lover fled the battle at Atticum, he did the same, and it led to his demise.”

“Ouranos loves Gaea with all of his heart, and all he wanted was to be reunited with her. The seven of the prophecy prevented that, and now, he wants revenge. His love for Gaea will lead him to do something foolish, but you must remember that a mortal who wants vengeance is practically invincible. His conviction must be weakened.”

“How?” Reyna asked. She rubbed her face again and felt a headache forming. When no response was given, Reyna slowly looked at Venus. She should have known that she wouldn't have gotten a straight answer. Venus gave Reyna a wave of dismissal.

Reyna watched the goddess for a moment. She finally turned away and walked back towards her friends. It took her a moment to realize that Venus was following them. The goddess spoke, “All of you must go back to your camps and stabilize them.”

“What do we do after that?” Piper asked. She glanced over at Reyna. After blinking, Reyna realized that everyone was looking at her for direction, even Percy and Annabeth.

“We have to find Minerva, Mars, and my mother,” Reyna answered. She mentally walked through the steps in her head. Venus even seemed to give her a small nod. “We will have to reforge Kronos' sword as well. After all that, we will have to take out Ouranos.”

“That's a tall order,” Annabeth commented. Reyna met her eyes and nodded. They both knew that everything was going to get a lot harder. It was easy to say what they needed to do, but actually doing it would be the challenge.

“Rhea also showed me that Ouranos has a mortal general. His name is Odovacer. He was the barbarian that killed the last Roman emperor and caused the Senate to dissolve. Ouranos wants him to do the same thing to New Rome. Odovacer is tasked with killing me and Frank,” Reyna added.

“The van isn't that damaged. I can give all of you a ride to Camp Jupiter,” Sally nodded. Percy gave her a concerned look and shook his head. “I'll be fine. You all need to get back to your camps quickly.”

“You three should go to Camp Half-Blood. I will to head to Camp Jupiter and make sure that everything is good there,” Reyna said. She glanced up at the sky. It was nice to have a clear objective and a place to go.

“One of us can go with you,” Piper suggested. Reyna shook her head. Camp Half-Blood would need the three demigods, and it would be quicker for Reyna to use a Pegasus alone. She also didn't know what she would be walking into at Camp Jupiter.

“Before you go, you guys should give the shield to Jupiter and explain what happened,” Reyna said. She slowly walked towards her fallen sword and grabbed it. Reyna stared down at the red blade. “Stay safe.”

“You too,” Annabeth said. Reyna slowly looked at her friends and nodded at them. “We'll send you a message, once Camp Half-Blood is under control. Don't do anything too reckless.”

“I will,” Reyna said. She smiled slightly. Reyna turned away from her friends and took a deep, pained breath. The quest had left her with many wounds, both mental and physical. It seemed like things would only get worse from there. She was prepared for it though.

Reyna stopped walking and looked up at the sky. It seemed like the rain was beginning to stop. She turned around and took a moment to look out at the destruction that the explosion had caused. It was only a fraction of what would happen during the war.

Reyna looked back down at her sword. She knew that she would play a large role in what was to come. Ouranos had already targeted her family, and that was not something that could be forgiven. Now, he wanted to attack her home. Reyna swore to herself that she would take out Ouranos, no matter the cost.


End file.
